Language/French/Grammar/Nouns-which-refer-both-to-males-and-to-females

Nouns which refer both to males and to females

Some nouns can refer either to males or to females simply by changing the determiner from masculine to feminine:

French	English
un/une adulte	an adult
un/une adversaire	an adversary
un/une artiste	an artist
un/une bibliothécaire	a librarian
un/une camarade	a comrade
un/une célibataire	a bachelor/spinster (an unmarried person)
un/une chimiste	a chemist (scientist)
un/une collègue	a colleague
un/une compatriote	a compatriot
un/une complice	an accomplice
un/une concierge	a porter
un/une convive	a guest
un/une dentiste	a dentist
un/une élève	a (school) pupil
un/une enfant	a child
un/une esclave	a slave
un/une fonctionnaire	a civil servant
un/une gosse	a kid (a word for a child in informal French)
un/une interprète	an interpreter
un/une journaliste	a journalist
un/une libraire	a bookseller
un/une locataire	a tenant
un/une malade	a person who is ill
un/une partenaire	a partner
un/une patriote	a patriot
un/une pensionnaire	a boarder (as in boarding school)
un/une philosophe	a philosopher
un/une photographe	a photographer
un/une pianiste	a pianist
un/une pique-assiette	a sponger
un/une secrétaire	a secretary
un/une touriste	a tourist

• NB: pupille meaning 'pupil of the eye' is feminine only. In set expressions such as pupille de la Nation, pupille de l'Etat the noun refers to a child whose education is paid for by the state. With this meaning pupille may be masculine or feminine according to the sex of the child.