How to Determine the Gender of French Nouns: A Practical Guide
One of the recurring challenges in learning the French language is determining the gender of nouns. The gender rules are not always intuitive and there are many exceptions. This article aims to provide you with some keys to recognize whether a noun is masculine or feminine, with concrete examples.
Masculine Nouns: Clues and Exceptions
Nouns Ending in -oir
Nouns ending in -oir are generally masculine. Here are some common examples:
- Un tiroir (a drawer)
- Un couloir (a corridor)
- Un devoir (a homework)
- Un trottoir (a sidewalk)
Attention: Some nouns ending in -oire, which sound similar, are feminine:
- Une poire (a pear)
- Une bouilloire (a kettle)
Nouns Ending in -ail
Nouns ending in -ail are mostly masculine:
- Un travail (a work)
- Un portail (a gate)
- Un détail (a detail)
- Un vitrail (a stained glass window)
Attention: Nouns ending in -aille are feminine:
- Une paille (a straw)
- Une taille (a size)
Nouns Ending in -al
Nouns ending in -al are generally masculine:
- Un signal (a signal)
- Un journal (a newspaper)
- Un festival (a festival)
- Un régal (a treat)
Attention: Some nouns ending in -ale are feminine:
- La morale (morality)
- La finale (the final)
Nouns Ending in -ant and -ent
Most nouns ending in -ant and -ent are masculine:
- Un étudiant (a student)
- Un gagnant (a winner)
- Un client (a client)
- Un président (a president)
Notable exception:
- Une dent (a tooth)
Nouns Ending in -isme
Nouns ending in -isme are always masculine:
- Le capitalisme (capitalism)
- Le communisme (communism)
- Le féminisme (feminism)
- Le réalisme (realism)
Nouns Ending in -asme
Although rare, nouns ending in -asme are masculine:
- Un fantasme (a fantasy)
- Un spasme (a spasm)
- Le sarcasme (sarcasm)
- Un pléonasme (a pleonasm)
Nouns Ending in -age
Most nouns ending in -age are masculine:
- Un voyage (a trip)
- Un bagage (a piece of luggage)
- Un garage (a garage)
- Un lavage (a wash)
Exceptions:
- Une plage (a beach)
- Une image (an image)
- Une cage (a cage)
Feminine Nouns: Clues and Exceptions
Nouns Ending in -ette
Nouns ending in -ette are often feminine:
- Une allumette (a match)
- Une trompette (a trumpet)
- Une cigarette (a cigarette)
- Une serviette (a towel)
Exception:
- Un squelette (a skeleton)
Nouns Ending in -ure
Nouns ending in -ure are mostly feminine:
- Une voiture (a car)
- Une culture (a culture)
- Une facture (an invoice)
- Une écriture (a handwriting)
Exception:
- Un murmure (a whisper)
Nouns Ending in -ité
Nouns ending in -ité are mostly feminine:
- La féminité (femininity)
- La fidélité (fidelity)
- La curiosité (curiosity)
- La sécurité (security)
Exception:
- Un comité (a committee)
Nouns Ending in -tion and -ssion
Nouns ending in -tion and -ssion are always feminine:
- Une confession (a confession)
- Une discussion (a discussion)
- Une réaction (a reaction)
- Une solution (a solution)
Nouns Ending in -ante and -ente
Nouns ending in -ante and -ente are also feminine:
- Une étudiante (a student)
- Une gagnante (a winner)
- Une pente (a slope)
- Une tente (a tent)
Nouns Ending in -ance and -ence
Nouns ending in -ance and -ence are generally feminine:
- La tolérance (tolerance)
- La constance (consistency)
- La patience (patience)
- La violence (violence)
Exception:
- Un silence (a silence)
Epicene Nouns: Usable in Both Masculine and Feminine
There are also nouns that can be used in both masculine and feminine forms. Here are some examples:
- Un enfant / une enfant (a child)
- Un journaliste / une journaliste (a journalist)
- Un interprète / une interprète (an interpreter)
- Un collègue / une collègue (a colleague)
- Un médecin / une médecin (a doctor)
- Un architecte / une architecte (an architect)
- Un artiste / une artiste (an artist)
- Un adulte / une adulte (an adult)
- Un ministre / une ministre (a minister)
- Un juge / une juge (a judge)
- Un élève / une élève (a student)
- Un malade / une malade (a patient)
