Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Grammar/Gender-of-compound-nouns"
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Revision as of 16:47, 13 November 2021
Compound nouns fall into six main types in French, and it is possible to determine broadly the gender of a compound on the basis of the type it belongs to (although with some exceptions).
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Adjective + noun compounds
Adjective + noun compounds normally take their gender from the noun. The noun part of the compound is highlighted in the following examples:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un arc-boutant | a buttress |
| un bas-côté | a verge (e.g. of a motorway) |
| une basse-cour | a farmyard |
| une belle-fille | a daughter-in-law |
| un cerf-volant | a kite |
| un coffre-fort | a safe |
| un grand-parent | a grandparent |
| un rond-point | a roundabout |
- Exception: un rouge-gorge 'a robin'.
Noun + noun compounds
In noun + noun compounds the gender is determined by the more important noun, un camion-citerne 'a tanker (lorry)' is a type of camion 'lorry', so camion is the more important noun, and the compound is masculine, un hommegrenouille 'a frogman' is a type of homme 'man' (not a type of frog!), so home is the more important noun, and the compound is masculine. The important nouns are highlighted in the following examples:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une auto-école | a driving school |
| un bateau-mouche | a Parisian tourist boat |
| un bateau-citerne | a tanker (ship) |
| un camion-citerne | a tanker (lorry) |
| un chou-fleur | a cauliflower |
| un homme-grenouille | a frogman |
| un hôtel-Dieu | a hospital |
| une idée-force | a central idea |
| un mot-clé | a keyword |
| un oiseau-mouche | a humming-bird |
| du papier-toilette | toilet paper |
| une pause-café | a coffee break |
| une porte-fenêtre | a french window |
| un timbre-poste | a stamp |
| une voiture-restaurant | a restaurant car |
| un wagon-lit | a sleeping car |
Adverb + noun compounds
In adverb + noun compounds, the compound is usually the same gender as the noun, but there are exceptions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une arriere-pensee | a second thought |
| l'arrière-plan (m) | the background |
| une contre-offensive | a counter-offensive |
| un demi-tarif | a half-price ticket |
| une demi-bouteille | a half bottle |
| un hors-bord | a speedboat |
| une mini-jupe | a miniskirt |
| un haut-parleur | a loudspeaker |
| un sans-travail | an unemployed person |
- Exceptions: l'après-guerre (m) 'the post-war period', un en-tête 'a letterhead', le sans-gêne 'the lack of embarrassment'.
Noun + prepositional phrase compounds
The gender of noun + prepositional phrase compounds is usually that of the first noun:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un aide-de-camp | an aide-de-camp |
| un arc-en-ciel | a rainbow |
| un chef d'ceuvre | a masterpiece |
| un coup d'ceil | a glance |
| un coup de pied | a kick |
| un croc-en-jambe | a trip |
| une langue-de-chat | a long, flat, finger biscuit |
| la main d'ceuvre | the workforce |
| un mont-de-piété | a pawnshop |
| une pomme de terre | a potato |
| un pot-de-vin | a bribe |
- Exceptions to this generalization are: un tête-à-queue 'a spin' (head to tail in a car), un tête-à-tête 'a tête à tête conversation'.
Verb + noun compounds
Verb + noun compounds are usually masculine:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un abat-jour | a lampshade |
| un accroche-coeur | a (kiss) curl |
| un appui-tête | a headrest |
| des casse-noisettes | nutcrackers |
| un cache-nez | a scarf |
| un coupe-papier | a paper-knife |
| un couvre-lit | a bedspread |
| un cure-dents | a toothpick |
| un essuie-mains | a hand towel |
| un gratte-ciel | a skyscraper |
| un ouvre-boîtes | a tin-opener |
| un pare-brise | a windscreen |
| un pare-chocs | a bumper |
| un porte-avions | an aircraft carrier |
| un porte-bagages | a luggage rack |
| un porte-monnaie | a wallet |
| un soutien-gorge | a bra |
| un taille-crayons | a pencil sharpener |
| un tire-bouchon | a corkscrew |
| un trompe-l'oeil | a "trompe l'oeil' (art) |
Verbal phrase compounds
Compounds constructed from verbal phrases are masculine:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le manque-à-gagner | lost revenue |
| le on-dit | rumour, gossip |
| le ouï-dire | hearsay |
| un m'as-tu-vu | a show-off |
| le qu'en dira-t-on | the 'what might people say' |
| un faire-part | an announcement card (weddings, births, funerals) |
| un laisser-passer | a pass (document) |
| le savoir-faire | know-how |