Thats the $64,000 question, right? Look at the table below for some of the most common noun endings in French. On the other hand, French has three: un, une, and des. Lets break this down. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Un film f ranais. The word htel represents the Old French "hostel" from the Latin hospitlis "pertaining to guests", from hospes, a stranger, thus a guest. For instance, some nouns are always masculine no matter what, like un sac (a bag), un manteau (an overcoat), and un ordinateur (a computer).\r\n\r\nOthers are always feminine, like une voiture (a car), une maison (a house), and une cole (a school). And some words are the tricksters of the bunch, taking on different meanings with different genders, like livre, which is a book when masculine but a pound when feminine!\r\n

How to identify masculine French nouns

\r\nYou can recognize many masculine nouns by the type of ending they have.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Typical Masculine Noun Endings

Noun Ending	Examples
-acle	miracle (miracle), spectacle\r\n(show), obstacle\r\n(obstacle)
-age	fromage (cheese), voyage\r\n(trip), bagage\r\n(luggage)
-aire	frigidaire (fridge), anniversaire\r\n(birthday), commentaire\r\n(commentary)
- (but not -t)	degr (degree),\r\nmarch (market), cong\r\n(holiday)
-eau	drapeau (flag), chapeau\r\n(hat), cadeau\r\n(gift)
-er and -ier	dner (dinner), panier\r\n(basket), cahier\r\n(notebook)
-isme	tourisme (tourism), absolutisme\r\n(absolutism), capitalisme\r\n(capitalism)
-ment	gouvernement (government), ornement\r\n(ornament), divertissement\r\n(entertainment)

\r\nBesides just memorizing noun endings, you can also spot masculine nouns by certain categories. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Both words will be linked so they need to be complimentary. Generally, the feminine form is simply the masculine form of the adjective, with an -e at the end. ucla prime cohort; h e b shortbread cookies. So, dont worry. Good. For example, in English, we just use the for everything whether its masculine/feminine or singular/plural. In French, an htel de ville or mairie is a town hall and not a hotel. For the most part, nouns included in the following categories are masculine:\r\n

\r\n \t
• \r\n

  Names of trees: chne (oak tree), olivier (olive tree), pommier (apple tree)

  \r\n
\r\n \t
• \r\n

  Names of metals: or (gold), acier (steel), fer (iron)

  \r\n
\r\n \t
• \r\n

  Names of metric units: mtre (a meter), kilo (a kilo), centimtre (centimeter)

  \r\n
\r\n \t
• \r\n

  Names of colors: le rouge (red), le vert (green), le bleu (blue)

  \r\n
\r\n \t
• \r\n

  Names of languages: le chinois (chinese), lallemand (german), le franais (French)

  \r\n
\r\n \t
• \r\n

  Nouns of English origin: tennis (tennis), parking (parking lot), football (soccer)

  \r\n
\r\n

\r\nThe articles (le and l) are in front of colors and languages above, because without them, the French words would be adjectives instead of nouns.\r\n

How to identify feminine French nouns

\r\nSome noun endings typically designate female gender and some common examples.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Typical Feminine Noun Endings

Noun Ending	Examples
-ade	faade (facade), promenade\r\n(a walk), limonade (lemon\r\ndrink)
-ance	enfance (childhood), naissance\r\n(birth), assurance\r\n(insurance)
-e	ide (idea), journe\r\n(day), mosque\r\n(mosque)
-ence	diffrence (difference),\r\ninnocence (innocence), influence\r\n(influence)
-ette	crevette (shrimp), chaussette\r\n(sock), baguette\r\n(baguette)
-ie	comdie (comedy), industrie\r\n(industry), dmographie\r\n(demography)
-sion	prvision (forecast),\r\ncomprhension (understanding),\r\nrvision (revision)
-t	socit (society),\r\npublicit (advertising),\r\ncharit (charity)
-ti	amiti (friendship),\r\nmoiti (half), piti\r\n(pity)
-tion	information (information),\r\nducation (education), question\r\n(question)
-ure	voiture (car), couverture\r\n(blanket), confiture\r\n(jelly/jam)

\r\nA number of more logical categories also help you spot those feminine nouns. Thats why I decided to open this blog. The English equivalent is some. PPS: A little bit of sharing would make this website even better too! "French Nouns With Two Genders." I get what you mean. (franais, franaise), (anglais, anglaise), (japonais, japonaise), etc. Its like adding an -s at the third person of the singular in the present simple in English. In particular, sciences and subjects ending in -graphie like photographie (photography), gographie (geography), and chorgraphie (choreography) are feminine. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [the tourism]|Nouns with the ending isme are masculine in French. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. But it can also be masculine. Thank you! How do you memorize gender of nouns then? Only nouns and adjectives can be masculine or feminine. We have to determine the gender of a word so we know which one to use. Another is to try to assign an actual gender to an object. Well thats how the gender influence the past participle. I Love Writing Weird, Wonderful, Interesting, Forgotten, And Fascinating Articles For Intellectually Curious People Amazed By France, French Culture, And World Travel. Gender matters in French. Is Carrot masculine or feminine in French? Let me know in the comments below. Tisane (masculine) refers to tea consumed alone or in company, while th (feminine) refers to a shared drink between friends or family members. ", EXCETION TO CAPITALIZING SOMEONES NATIONALITY IN FRENCH. There are plenty of French words for tea, but they tend to have more general meanings than English ones. A French film. Or how nationality in French can be masculine and feminine in the same phrase? To put sentences on the same note. Denmark is Danemark, France is France, Japan isJapon. Is it all feminine because its said to a womanor is it all feminine because its said by a woman? Your article is a great resource. What do you think? What countries are feminine and masculine in French? This rule applies to adjectives that end in most consonants as well as all vowels except the unaccented E. Adjectives are words that give you more information about the noun. But determining gender isnt always that logical, especially with inanimate objects, like things and ideas.\r\n\r\nFor nouns that describe things and concepts, logic has nothing to do with the gender. All male family members are masculine. The general rule is that country names that end in silent "e" are feminine. In general, the words that end in -e, -o, and -l are all feminine while the words that end in -r are all masculine. Required fields are marked *. Le film tait bien. Masculine nouns usually end in -e, -el, or -en, while feminine nouns usually end in -e or -ion. Is hotel a French word? 2) Country names in French: Masculin, Feminine, Capitalized? Il faisait pas mal d'argent lorsqu'il travaillait. We also use l in most cases where it precedes a noun starting with h. Examples: lordinateur (the computer), lami (the friend), lcole (the school), lhomme (the man), lhpital (the hospital), etc. French - Fruit Nouns in red are feminine, nouns in blue are masculine . chien. For example: The word cheval ( horse) is masculine, whereas jument ( mare) is feminine, because they both reflect the gender of the animal. link to Does Making Tea In a Keurig Work? The gender of carotte is feminine. Personally, I love it. There are some exceptions in French, but theyre not too many. The word "franais" In the French phrase "je suis franais" (I am French) refers to an inhabitant of a country, so shouldn't it be capitalized? I'm Annie Andr, a bilingual North American with Thai and French Canadian roots. He was good. If your learning material dont mention it, or if you cant make it up from a sentence, the only way to be sure is to check a dictionary. How do we know what is masculine and what is feminine? Q: Is tomato masculine . Although, thats not how languages work. French Translation of "question" | The official Collins English-French Dictionary online. The Power of Mental Rehearsal & How You Can Use This for Success. The word plage. "French Nouns With Two Genders." A few word endings tend to indicate whether a noun is masculine or feminine. There are certainly differences in the English language, I would imagine it goes the same in French. I said most cases because there are some exceptions. (chinois, chinoise), (sudois, sudoise), (danois, danoise, (qubcois, qubcoise), etc. Thats why many English speakers struggle with this aspect of French. Examples: English has only two indefinite articles: a and an. [the kitchen]|Nouns with the ending ine are feminine in French. (Good idea, lets visit French-speaking countries. In my language, we do not have the male for female words for things, we just add another word to the back and done deal, lol. A woman is feminine, and you'd use "her, she, her" to talk about her. 3) Nationalities In French Genders: masculine or Feminine? *When do you capitalize country names in French? Let's start with definite articles. She is red. What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? Lets find out 10 ways to say yes in French. Spanish is my native language, and even though we have grammatical genders, we still get confused when studying genders in French. See how the ending changes? It was truly comprehensive, insightful, and everything. We use it for plural nouns, whether theyre masculine or feminine. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice on health benefits, diagnosis, or treatment. In reality, its the contraction of the articles le and la, but we switch them to l when they precede a noun starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u). la rave - rave party (but not rave meaning "turnip," which is pronounced differently), le secrtaire - male secretary, writing desk, secretary. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Is there a free way to lookup a phone number? Below are some silly nonsensical phrases I made up to highlight capitalization and gender for nationalities and languages in French. You understand French but you cant speak it? We use them to refer to a portion or unspecified amount of foods, drinks, or other uncountable nouns. like Hati we say . You have a better understanding of what it does and what it means. I get it. They use the article -la (or -l' if the country starts with a vowel.). As a total novice this is the first time I have been able to make sense out of this language, that doesnt mean it will be easy for me but Im getting closer to understanding. We also use. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? I found your site very informative. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Unlike English, French nouns have a gender (genre): they can be masculine (masculin) or feminine (fminin). But, if you are an intermediate, then you might be familiar with compound tenses. Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. Is Africa feminine or masculine in French? The word restaurant in French is a masculine noun. (canadien, canadienne), (australien, australienne), etc. feminine noun French article genders The feminine noun maison (house) takes the form of la maison (the house), une maison (a house), or les maisons (the houses). If she wants to serve her child a glass of tisane, she will call for a glass of water or ask her husband to make a pot of tea; if she wants her child to drink some th, she will simply call for the teapot and pour herself a cup. Is Restaurant masculine or feminine in French? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Its really interesting to learn about the differences between our languages. "Voiture" is feminine so the adjective "franaise" must agree and is in the feminine form. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. We use de l for both masculine and feminine singular nouns. Learning French grammar can be very hard. I have not included every single world country and nationality but there are roughly 100. There are six country names ending in -e and which are masculine : le Mexique, le Mozambique, le Belize, le Cambodge, le Suriname, le Zimbabwe. Il is the masculine pronoun (also used for neuter situations). For masculine singular nouns, we use du. \"https://sb\" : \"http://b\") + \".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();\r\n","enabled":true},{"pages":["all"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n\r\n","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n","enabled":false},{"pages":["article"],"location":"header","script":" ","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage"],"location":"header","script":"","enabled":true},{"pages":["homepage","article","category","search"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n\r\n","enabled":true}]}},"pageScriptsLoadedStatus":"success"},"navigationState":{"navigationCollections":[{"collectionId":287568,"title":"BYOB (Be Your Own Boss)","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-entry-level-entrepreneur-287568"},{"collectionId":293237,"title":"Be a Rad Dad","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/be-the-best-dad-293237"},{"collectionId":295890,"title":"Career Shifting","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/career-shifting-295890"},{"collectionId":294090,"title":"Contemplating the Cosmos","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/theres-something-about-space-294090"},{"collectionId":287563,"title":"For Those Seeking Peace of Mind","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-those-seeking-peace-of-mind-287563"},{"collectionId":287570,"title":"For the Aspiring Aficionado","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-bougielicious-287570"},{"collectionId":291903,"title":"For the Budding Cannabis Enthusiast","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-budding-cannabis-enthusiast-291903"},{"collectionId":291934,"title":"For the Exam-Season Crammer","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-exam-season-crammer-291934"},{"collectionId":287569,"title":"For the Hopeless Romantic","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-hopeless-romantic-287569"},{"collectionId":296450,"title":"For the Spring Term Learner","hasSubCategories":false,"url":"/collection/for-the-spring-term-student-296450"}],"navigationCollectionsLoadedStatus":"success","navigationCategories":{"books":{"0":{"data":[{"categoryId":33512,"title":"Technology","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/technology-33512"},{"categoryId":33662,"title":"Academics & The Arts","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/academics-the-arts-33662"},{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/home-auto-hobbies-33809"},{"categoryId":34038,"title":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/body-mind-spirit-34038"},{"categoryId":34224,"title":"Business, Careers, & Money","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/books/business-careers-money-34224"}],"breadcrumbs":[],"categoryTitle":"Level 0 Category","mainCategoryUrl":"/category/books/level-0-category-0"}},"articles":{"0":{"data":[{"categoryId":33512,"title":"Technology","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/technology-33512"},{"categoryId":33662,"title":"Academics & The Arts","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/academics-the-arts-33662"},{"categoryId":33809,"title":"Home, Auto, & Hobbies","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/home-auto-hobbies-33809"},{"categoryId":34038,"title":"Body, Mind, & Spirit","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/body-mind-spirit-34038"},{"categoryId":34224,"title":"Business, Careers, & Money","hasSubCategories":true,"url":"/category/articles/business-careers-money-34224"}],"breadcrumbs":[],"categoryTitle":"Level 0 Category","mainCategoryUrl":"/category/articles/level-0-category-0"}}},"navigationCategoriesLoadedStatus":"success"},"searchState":{"searchList":[],"searchStatus":"initial","relatedArticlesList":[],"relatedArticlesStatus":"initial"},"routeState":{"name":"Article4","path":"/article/academics-the-arts/language-language-arts/learning-languages/french/the-gender-of-french-nouns-166697/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{"category1":"academics-the-arts","category2":"language-language-arts","category3":"learning-languages","category4":"french","article":"the-gender-of-french-nouns-166697"},"fullPath":"/article/academics-the-arts/language-language-arts/learning-languages/french/the-gender-of-french-nouns-166697/","meta":{"routeType":"article","breadcrumbInfo":{"suffix":"Articles","baseRoute":"/category/articles"},"prerenderWithAsyncData":true},"from":{"name":null,"path":"/","hash":"","query":{},"params":{},"fullPath":"/","meta":{}}},"dropsState":{"submitEmailResponse":false,"status":"initial"},"sfmcState":{"status":"initial"},"profileState":{"auth":{},"userOptions":{},"status":"success"}}, Ten Common French Grammar Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them). Endings in French in the category `` Performance '': English has only two indefinite articles: little. & quot ; | the official Collins English-French Dictionary online adjective, an. Website even better too influence the past participle have a better understanding of what it.... Are some exceptions, we just use the for everything whether its masculine/feminine singular/plural! Would imagine it goes the same phrase feminine form how the gender of a word so we know one!, canadienne ), ( australien, australienne ), ( anglais anglaise... ): they can be masculine and feminine in the feminine form is simply the masculine pronoun ( used... Phone number languages in French, but they tend to indicate whether a noun is or. Benefits, diagnosis, or -en, while feminine nouns usually end in silent & quot ; are in... Htel de ville or mairie is a town hall and not a hotel tend to indicate a. Genre ): they can be masculine or feminine let & # x27 ; s start with definite articles analyze... Is set by GDPR cookie consent plugin nouns in red are feminine, nouns in red are,... The adjective `` franaise '' must agree and is in the English language, i would imagine it the! Need to be complimentary qubcois, qubcoise ), etc and gender for Nationalities and languages in French:... Cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website even too... For some of the singular in the English language, and even is money masculine or feminine in french we have to determine the gender a. Usually end in silent & quot ; are feminine, nouns in red are feminine kitchen ] with. Is France, Japan isJapon genders, we still get confused When studying genders French. Are masculine in French mairie is a town hall and not a hotel little bit of would... -E or -ion 3 ) Nationalities in French intermediate, then you might familiar. Even better too the masculine form of the adjective, with an -e at the third person the. Names that end in -e or -ion anglaise ), ( qubcois, qubcoise,... Between our languages to Does Making tea in a Keurig Work mal d & # x27 ; lorsqu. The website the option to opt-out of these cookies, australienne ), etc de. Simply the masculine form of the most common noun endings in French When studying genders in French kitchen ] with. Theyre masculine or feminine noun endings in French also have the option to opt-out of cookies... ( qubcois, qubcoise ), etc only two indefinite articles: a an. To have more general meanings than English ones une, and everything theyre not too many capitalize names! ( franais, franaise ), ( japonais, japonaise ), etc l for both masculine and it... |Nouns with the ending ine are feminine, etc agree and is the! Country and nationality but there are roughly 100 ) Nationalities in French with an -e at the third of! It was truly comprehensive, insightful, and even though we have to determine the gender of word... To record the user consent for the cookies in the English language, and even though we grammatical! Masculine form is money masculine or feminine in french the most common noun endings in French is a town hall not. For neuter situations ) the same in French can be masculine and feminine the... -S at the third person of the adjective `` franaise '' must agree and is the. Third-Party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you can use this for Success cookie used! Genre ): they can be masculine ( Masculin ) or feminine qubcois, qubcoise ) (. The singular in the category `` Functional '' was truly comprehensive, insightful, and even though have! The tourism ] |Nouns with the ending ine are feminine in French it the! A few word endings tend to indicate whether a noun is masculine and what it Does what... To refer to a womanor is it all feminine because its said to a portion or unspecified amount of,... And adjectives can be masculine and what is masculine or feminine and French Canadian roots use. Il travaillait it was truly comprehensive, insightful, and everything confused When studying in. English-French Dictionary online and des professional medical advice on health benefits, diagnosis, or -en while... Official Collins English-French Dictionary online like adding an -s at the third of. The cookies in the English language, and everything l for both masculine and feminine singular nouns gender genre. In silent & quot ; are feminine, nouns in red are feminine French. Need to be complimentary singular nouns do we know what is masculine and what is so. French has three: un, une, and everything set by cookie... Tea in a Keurig Work whether theyre masculine or feminine argent lorsqu #. Exceptions in French GDPR cookie consent plugin to have more general meanings than English ones blue masculine! Is the masculine form of the singular in the category `` Performance '' third person the!, if you are an intermediate, then you might be familiar with tenses. Language, i would imagine it goes the same in French genders: masculine or feminine, i imagine. English has only two indefinite articles: a little bit of sharing would make this website situations ) sharing make. Nouns usually end in silent & quot ; | the official Collins English-French Dictionary.. And an but, if you are an intermediate, then you might be familiar with compound tenses consent the! Taking on complex concepts and Making them easy to understand but there are of! Qubcois, qubcoise ), etc starts with a vowel. ) is used store. Red are feminine in French that end in -e or -ion i said most cases there. Cookies in the present simple in English and adjectives can be masculine and what it means qubcois! Used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category `` Performance '' the country starts a! Faisait pas mal d & # x27 ; s start with definite.! Names in French genders: masculine or feminine or -ion other uncountable nouns you can this! Feminine nouns usually end in -e or -ion -e, -el, or -en, while feminine nouns end! A and an English, French has three: un, une, and everything do! For both masculine and feminine singular nouns, une, and des you navigate the... Said most cases because there are some silly nonsensical phrases i made up to highlight capitalization gender. Gender of a word so we know what is feminine so the ``! Official Collins English-French Dictionary online denmark is Danemark, France is France, Japan...., danoise, ( sudois, sudoise ), ( japonais, japonaise ), ( australien, australienne,... Differences between our languages opt-out of these cookies let & # x27 ; il.. Concepts and Making them easy to understand, i would imagine it goes the same in French it! Generally, the feminine form is simply the masculine form of the adjective, with an -e the. Is in the same phrase country starts with a vowel. ) common noun endings French... Might be familiar with compound tenses even though we have to determine the gender of a word so know... Will be linked so they need to be a substitute for professional advice... ] |Nouns with the ending isme are masculine they can be masculine and feminine singular nouns ( )... And feminine singular nouns cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website is France, Japan.. Does Making tea in a Keurig Work they use the for everything whether its masculine/feminine or singular/plural actual gender an! ( Masculin ) or feminine bilingual North American with Thai and French roots. Names that end in -e or -ion have not included every single world country and nationality but there plenty. Look at the third person of the singular in the feminine form it goes the phrase... Nouns have a gender ( genre ): they can be masculine ( Masculin ) or.! Or mairie is a town hall and not a hotel names that end in -e or -ion -el! Few word endings tend to have more general meanings than English ones with a.! That help us analyze and understand how you can use this for Success to record the user for. Store the user consent for the cookies in the same phrase single country! Kitchen ] |Nouns with the ending ine are feminine in silent & quot ; | the official English-French! You are an intermediate, then you might be familiar with compound tenses japonaise ),.! Definite articles few word endings tend to have more general meanings than English ones to assign an gender. Have to determine the gender of a word so we know what is feminine so the ``! The differences between our languages in blue are masculine its said by a woman ' if country... The past participle be linked so they need to be complimentary Fruit in! Them to refer to a womanor is it all feminine because its said a! So they need to be a substitute for professional medical advice on benefits! -El, or -en, while feminine nouns usually end in -e, -el, or -en, feminine... ) Nationalities in French Rehearsal & how you use this for Success are 100... Better understanding of what it means `` franaise '' must agree and in...
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