A comprehensive guide to understanding how special endings in French create diminutive and augmentative forms, expressing smallness or largeness.
In French, diminutives and augmentatives are special word forms created by adding suffixes to express smallness, affection, or largeness. Diminutives make things sound smaller or cuter, while augmentatives indicate something is bigger or more intense. French uses a few common suffixes for this, along with sometimes relying on other words.
French Diminutives
French diminutives are formed by adding suffixes that indicate something is small, cute, or endearing. The most common suffixes are -ette, -et, -elet/-elette, and sometimes -in or -ine.
Common Diminutive Suffixes
Suffix | Usage | Example | Meaning
--- | --- | --- | ---
-ette | Feminine nouns | maison → maisonnette | little house
-et | Masculine nouns | livre → livret | small book
-elet/-elette | Both genders (more formal) | plume → plumelette | tiny feather
-in/-ine | Often names or adjectives | Paul → Paulin; fine → finesse | little Paul; delicate
Examples:
- chat → chaton (kitten) [irregular diminutive]
- porte → portette (small door)
- livre → livret (booklet)
- plume → plumeette (small feather)
- Paul → Paulin (little Paul)
Vocabulary
French Diminutive Noun French Example English Example
chaton (m) small cat, kitten Le chaton dort. The kitten is sleeping.
maisonnette (f) small house Nous avons une maisonnette. We have a little house.
livret (m) booklet J’ai un livret. I have a booklet.
plumette (f) small feather La plumette est douce. The small feather is soft.
Règles et exceptions
- Gender usually stays the same: masculine nouns get -et, feminine get -ette.
- Some words have irregular diminutives (e.g., chat → chaton).
- Not all nouns can take diminutive suffixes; sometimes diminutives are formed differently or avoided.
French Augmentatives
French augmentatives express that something is larger, more intense, or exaggerated. Unlike diminutives, French has fewer dedicated augmentative suffixes. Instead, it often uses descriptive words like grand(e) (big), gros(se) (fat/big), or énorme (enormous). When suffixes are used, they are usually for literary or humorous effect.
Common Augmentative Strategies
Method | Example | Meaning
--- | --- | ---
“grand(e)” + noun | grand maison | big house
“gros(se)” + noun | grosse valise | big suitcase
“énorme” + noun | énorme problème | huge problem
Augmentative suffixes (rare) | -asse, -one | maison → maisonasse (slang/literary) | big house (colloquial)
Examples:
- chien → grand chien (big dog) or chien énorme (huge dog)
- tête → grosse tête (big head)
- maison → grande maison (big house), maisonasse (slang, “big/ugly house”)
Vocabulary
French Augmentative Noun Usage English Example
grande maison grand maison / grande maison C’est une grande maison. It’s a big house.
grosse valise grosse valise La valise est grosse. The suitcase is big.
énorme problème énorme problème Il y a un énorme problème. There is a huge problem.
maisonasse maisonasse (slang/literary) Cette maisonasse est vieille. This big/ugly house is old.
Usage Notes:
- Augmentative suffixes like -asse and -one are not common in everyday speech and can sound old-fashioned or humorous.
- Using adjectives like grand(e), gros(se), or énorme before the noun is the standard way to express largeness.
- Avoid using augmentative suffixes in formal writing unless quoting or creating a specific tone.
Summary
- Diminutives in French often use suffixes -ette, -et, -elet/-elette, -in/-ine to express smallness or affection.
- Augmentatives are usually formed with adjectives grand(e), gros(se), énorme placed before the noun.
- Few true augmentative suffixes exist in modern French; those that do appear are mostly slang, literary, or humorous.
- Gender agreement and regular noun rules still apply when adding diminutive suffixes.
- Not all nouns can take diminutive or augmentative forms, and some forms are irregular or idiomatic.
Understanding these patterns helps you describe things with more nuance, whether you want to make something sound cute and small, or big and impressive.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
