In French every noun is either masculine or feminine and must agree in gender and number with articles adjectives and sometimes verbs. This guide covers the basic rules and common endings that signal gender as well as how to form the plural.
Gender
Every noun is assigned gender typically masculine or feminine and this affects which article and adjective form you use. Gender is not always logical so nouns must usually be learned with their article.
Masculine Nouns
Masculine nouns usually take le or un and often end in endings like -age, -ment, or a consonant, though there are exceptions.
Feminine Nouns
Feminine nouns usually take la or une and often end in -tion, -sion, -ette, -ance, or -ure, but you should check each word.
Masculine
Masculine nouns commonly end in endings like -eau -isme and -ment but there are many exceptions. The masculine singular definite article is le and the indefinite article is un.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| le bateau | the boat | |
| un bateau | a boat | |
| le tourisme | tourism | |
| un tourisme | a tourism | |
| le monument | the monument | |
| un monument | a monument |
Feminine
Feminine nouns often end in -tion -sion -ette -ance and -ure and take the article la for definite and une for indefinite. However some nouns ending in -e can be masculine so you must check.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| la nation | the nation | |
| une nation | a nation | |
| la maison | the house | |
| une maison | a house | |
| la bicyclette | the bike | |
| une bicyclette | a bike | |
| la chance | luck | |
| une chance | a chance | |
| la voiture | the car | |
| une voiture | a car |
Number
Nouns are singular or plural and the plural normally adds -s which affects the article and adjective agreement. The plural definite article is les and the plural indefinite article is des.
Forming the Plural
Most nouns form the plural by adding -s to the singular form although nouns ending in -eau -au and -ou may add -x and some nouns are irregular. Plural nouns keep their gender.
| French Singular Ending | French Plural Ending | French Conversion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| -s, -x, -z | no change | un nez → des nez | |
| -eau, -au, -ou | +x | un bateau → des bateaux | |
| most others | +s | un livre → des livres |
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| le bateau | the boat | |
| les bateaux | the boats | |
| le château | the castle | |
| les châteaux | the castles | |
| le hibou | the owl | |
| les hiboux | the owls | |
| la maison | the house | |
| les maisons | the houses | |
| la voiture | the car | |
| les voitures | the cars |
Adjective Agreement
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe so you add -e for feminine and -s for plural when required. Some adjectives have special forms.
| French Base Form | French Feminine Form | French Masculine Plural | French Feminine Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | petits | petites | |
| grand | grande | grands | grandes | |
| heureux | heureuse | heureux | heureuses |
| Number | French Definite Article | French Indefinite Article | Typical French Ending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | le / la | un / une | base form | |
| Plural | les | des | -s or -x |
Articles with Plural Nouns
The plural definite article is les and is used with specific nouns while the plural indefinite article is des for unspecific amounts. Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Key Vocabulary
Familiarity with common nouns for people, places, things, and abstract ideas helps you practice gender and number in context. Learn each noun with its article to remember gender.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| le garçon | the boy | |
| la fille | the girl | |
| un chien | a dog | |
| une maison | a house | |
| les chats | the cats | |
| des voitures | some cars |
| French | English | |
|---|---|---|
| 🧺 Le panier | The basket | |
| 🍎 La pomme | The apple | |
| 🥖 La baguette | The baguette | |
| 📰 Le journal | The newspaper | |
| 🗞️ La revue | The magazine | |
| ☕ Le café | The coffee | |
| 🪑 La chaise | The chair | |
| 🧴 La bouteille | The bottle | |
| 🪣 Le seau | The bucket | |
| 🧍 La personne | The person |
Summary
Learn nouns together with their gender by paying attention to the article and typical endings. Form the plural normally with -s and use les or des for plural articles so adjectives and other words can agree in gender and number.
| Category | Typical Ending | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -age, -ment, -eau, -isme | Most nouns with these endings are masculine. | |
| Feminine | -e, -ion, -té, -ure | Most nouns with these endings are feminine. | |
| Plural | +s (nouns & adjectives) | Words ending in -s, -x, or -z don’t change. | |
| Adjective Agreement | match gender + number | Add -e for feminine, -s for plural, -es for both. |
Here’s your updated version with an “Ending” column added to every table, keeping headers and structure exactly as in your original:
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025