Language/French/Grammar/Nouns-which-refer-both-to-males-and-to-females
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Bonjour! French learners 😀
Nouns in French are either masculine or feminine. Unfortunately, there is no easy rules for predicting the gender of a noun.
Here is a list of French names that refer to either men or women simply by changing the determinant from masculine to feminine:
Please write a comment below if you know of other similar nouns! 👌
Nouns which refer both to males and to females
French | Translation |
---|---|
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 uniquely female. In fixed expressions such as "pupille de la Nation" (Ward of the Nation), "pupille de l'Etat" (Ward of the State), the noun designates a child whose education is funded by the State. In this sense, "pupille" can be masculine or feminine depending on the sex of the child.