FRENCH NOUNS

By Calixte Wondje, Ph.D.

Welcome

Welcome to Cachi Academy – Your French Language Advantage for the Professional World!

At Cachi Academy, we specialize in helping professionals master French for real-world success.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur expanding into francophone markets, an executive leading bilingual teams, a diplomat navigating international relations, or a driven professional looking to sharpen your workplace communication, you’re in the right place.

Plan

• Gender and Number of Nouns; Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Plural Nouns
• Determining the Gender of Nouns
• C’est versus il / elle est
• The Partitive
• Expressions of Quantity
• Use of Articles

Gender and Number of Nouns; Definite and Indefinite Articles

• A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, idea, or quality. Articles, which are often used before nouns, are either definite or indefinite.
•  A definite article identifies something or someone specific (the apple, the teacher). An indefinite article is more general (an apple, a teacher).
• French nouns are either masculine or feminine. Most nouns add –s to form the plural. There are four forms of the French definite article.

Note that both masculine and feminine singular nouns beginning with a vowel or a mute h take the definite article l’.

• There are three forms of the French indefinite article.

• English has no plural indefinite article. French des is often equivalent to some or any.

Plural Nouns

• Most French nouns form their plural by adding –s.

There are some exceptions.

• Singular nouns ending in –s, -x, or –z do not change form in the plural.

-le cours – les cours  –  the course – the courses

– une fois – des fois   –  once – sometimes

– le mois – les mois  –  the month – the months

– un prix – des prix  –  a prize – prizes

– la voix – les voix  –  the voice – the voices

– le nez – les nez  –  the nose – the noses

• Most nouns ending in -al have a plural form ending in –aux.

-l’animal – les animaux  –  the animal – the animals

-le cheval – les chevaux  –  the horse – the horses

-le général – les généraux  –  the general – the generals

-l’hôpital – les hôpitaux  –  the hospital – the hospitals

-l’idéal – les idéaux  –  the ideal – the ideals

-le journal – les journaux  –  the newspaper – the newspapers

• There are some exceptions:

– le bal – les bals  –  the ball – the balls

– le carnaval – les carnavals  –  the carnival – the carnivals

– le festival – les festivals  –  the festival – the festivals

– le récital – les récitals  –  the recital – the recitals

• Nouns ending in –au, -eau, or –eu add –x to form the plural.

– le bateau – les bateaux  –  the boat – the boats

– le bureau – les bureaux  –  the office – the offices

– le cheveu – les cheveux  –  the hair – the hair

– le jeu – les jeux  –  the game – the games

• Exception:

– le pneu (tire) – les pneus

• Most nouns ending in –ou add –s to form the plural, but some add –x.

– Le clou (nail) – les clous

– Le trou (hole) – les trous

But:

– Le chou – les choux  / The cabbage – the cabbages

– Le genou – les genoux / The knee – the knees

– Le bijou – les bijoux  / The jewel – the jewels

– Le caillou – les cailloux  /  The pebble – the pebbles

– Le hibou – les hiboux  /  The owl – the owls

– Le joujou – les joujoux  / The toy – the toys

– Le pou – les poux  /  The louse – the lice

• Some nouns have irregular plurals.

-Le ciel – les cieux  /  The sky – the heavens

– L’oeil – les yeux  /  The eye – the eyes

– Le travail – les travaux  /  The work – the works

– Monsieur – messieurs  /  Sir – gentlemen

– Madame – mesdames  /  Madam – ladies

– Mademoiselle – Mesdemoiselles  /  Miss – young ladies

• Family names in French do not change form in the plural.

– Vous connaissez les Durand?

– Do you know the Durands?

– Non, mais je sais qu’ils sont les voisins des Chevalier.

– No, but I know that they are neighbors of the Chevaliers.

• Some nouns are used mainly in the plural.

-Les ciseaux  –  scissors

– Les frais  –  expenses, cost

– Les mathématiques, les maths  –  math

– Les mœurs  –  morals

– Les vacances  –  vacation

• Some nouns, especially abstract nouns, have no plural.

– La foi  –  faith

– La paix  –  peace

– La patience  – patience

• Numbers and letters used as nouns also have no plural.

– ‘’Femme’’ s’écrit avec deux m.

– ‘’Femme’’ is written with two m’s.

– Il y a deux cinq dans mon numéro de téléphone. 

– There are two fives in my phone number.

Determining the Gender of Nouns

• Most nouns referring to males are masculine. Most nouns referring to females are feminine.

Masculine nouns:

– Un homme  – a man

– Un garçon  –  a boy

– Un père  –  a father

– Un oncle  –  an uncle

Feminine nouns:

– Une femme  –  a woman

– Une fille  –  a daughter

– Une mère  –  a mother

– Une tante  –  an aunt

• Many feminine nouns are formed by adding –e  to the masculine form.

– Un saint – une sainte  /  A saint

– Un rival – une rivale  /   A rival

– Un cousin – une cousine  /  A cousin

– Un marchand – une marchande  /  A merchant

– Un employé – une employee  /  An employee

– Un ami – une amie  /  A friend

• In other cases, the masculine ending is changed to a feminine ending.

• The suffix –esse forms the feminine of some masculine nouns

– Un prince – une princesse  /  A prince – a princess

– Un dieu – une déesse  /  A god – a goddess

• Many nouns have the same form for both masculine and feminine, only the article changes to indicate the gender of the person referred to.

– un/une artiste – an artist

– un/une camarade – a classmate

– un/une élève – a student

– un/une enfant – a child

• The suffix –esse forms the feminine of some masculine nouns.

– Un prince – une princesse  /  A prince – a princess

– Un dieu – une déesse  /  A god – a goddess

• Many nouns have the same form for both masculine and feminine, only the article changes to indicate the gender of the person referred to.

– un/une artiste – an artist

– un/une camarade – a classmate

– un/une élève – a student

– un/une enfant – a child

• Some nouns are masculine even when they refer to women.

– un poète – a poet

– un auteur – an author

– un docteur – a doctor

– un écrivain – a writer

– un ingénieur – an engineer

– un juge – a judge

– un medecin – a physician

– un minister – a minister

– un peintre – a painter

– un professeur – a professor

– un sculpteur – a sculptor

– un témoin – a witness

Examples

– Ma femme est un auteur très connu.

– My wife is a very famous author.

– Ta sœur est un très bon peintre.

– Your sister is a very good painter.

• Other nouns are grammatically feminine even when they refer to men.

– une brute  –  a bully

– une personne  –   a person

– une vedette – a film star

– une victim  –  a victim

– Marc est une personne sympathique n’est-ce pas? Mark is a nice personne, isn’t he?

– Tu trouves? Tout le monde dit que c’est une brute. You think so? Everyone says that he’s a beast.

• Although many French nouns give no clue to their gender (le peuple, la foule), some have endings that do indicate gender.

Masculine endings:

Feminine endings:

• Some nouns can be either masculine or feminine, depending on their meaning.

-Le critique  –  critic

-La critique  –  criticisme, review

-Le livre  – the book

-La livre  –  pound

• Some nouns can be either masculine or feminine, depending on their meaning.

-Le poste  –  job, radio or TV set (station)

-La poste  –  mail, postal service, post office

-Le tour  –  tour, trip

-La tour  –  tower

• Some nouns can be either masculine or feminine, depending on their meaning.

-Le voile  –  veil

-La voile  – sail

C’est versus il / elle est

• French has two constructions to identify a noun referring to a person (he’s a …, she’s a …).

1.Il est/Elle est or ils sont/elles sont, is used before an unmodified noun of profession, religion, or nationality.

–Il est médecin? Is he a doctor?

-Non, sa femme est médecin. Lui, il est scientifique. No, his wife is a doctor. He’s a scientist.

–Ils sont protestants, les Duvalier? Are the Duvaliers Protestants?

-Lui, il est protestant. Elle, elle est catholique. He’s a Protestant. She’s a Catholic.

2. If the noun is modified (even by just an article), c’est or ce sont must be used. C’est un/une is the most common construction to identify things.

– C’est un avocat?  Is he a lawyer?

– Non, ce n’est pas un avocat. C’est un juge.  No, he is not a lawyer. He’s a judge.

-Ce sont des soldats?   Are they soldiers?

-Non, ce sont des pilotes.  No, they’re pilots.

The Partitive

• The partitive article is an indefinite article used to express an indefinite quantity or part of something (English: some, any). The partitive article consists of de + le, la, or l’. De + le contracts to du. The plural of the partitive article is des.

-Du lait  –  Milk

-Du pain  –  Bread

-De la patience  –  Patience

-De la crème  –  Cream

-De l’eau  –  Water

-De l’or  –  Gold

-Des sandwishs  –  Sandwishes

-Des pommes  –  Apples

• After a negative, the partitive article is de (d’) unless the verb is être. If the verb is être, the partitive article retains its full form. De (D’) also replaces the indefinite article after a negative.

-Tu n’as pas encore acheté de pain!  You haven’t bought any bread yet!

-Tu n’as vraiment pas de patience.  You really don’t have any patience.

–C’est du lait, ça?  Is that milk?

-Non, ce n’est pas du lait. C’est de la crème. No, it’s not milk. It’s cream.

-Tu as une voiture?  Do you have a car?

-Non je n’ai pas de voiture.  No, I don’t have a car.

Expressions of Quantity

• After expressions of quantity, de is used instead od the partitive.

-Assez de  –  enough

-Autant de  –  as much, as many

-Beaucoup de  –  much, many

-Combien de…?  –  How much? How many?

-Moins de  –  less

-Peu de  –  few, little, not much

-Plus de  –  more

-Tant de  –  so much, so many

-Trop de  –  too much, too many

-Un peu de—  a little (bit of—)

• De is also used in expressions of weights and measures such as the following:

-Une boîte de  –   a box of

-Une bouteille de  –  a bottle of

-Un kilo de  –   a kilo of

-Une livre de  –  a pound of

• De is also used in expressions of weights and measures such as the following:

-J’ai deux bouteilles de lait. I have two bottles of milk.

-Alors, j’ai autant de lait que toi. Then I have as much milk as you do.

–Combien de viande as-tu achetée? How much meat did you buy?

-J’ai pris un kilo de bœuf et une livre de jambon. I got a kilo of beef and a pound of ham.

• However, if the noun following the preposition de is specific in any of the above cases, the definite article is used, and will contract with the preposition.

-Peu des (d’) étudiants ont compris.

–Few of the students understood.

-Les enfants ont mangé beaucoup du (de) chocolat que je leur ai donné. 

–The children ate much of the chocolate that I gave them.

• La plupart (most) and bien (a lot) are followed by de + article.

-Il étudie la plupart du temps?

–Does he study most of the time?

-Oui il a bien des livres à lire.

–Yes, he has a lot of books to read.

• The phrase ne + verb + que (only) is not really a negative and is followed by the partitive.

-Tu ne dis que des sottises. 

–You’re saying only silly things.

• Note the use of the partitive with school subjects after the verb faire:

–Faire des maths. 

–To study (major in) math.

–Faire de la physique.

–To study (major in) physics.

• In formal style, de replaces the partitive before an adjective that precedes the noun.

-Nous avons fait de grands efforts. – We made great efforts.

However, this rule is increasingly disregarded in all styles.

-Elle a acheté des belles fleurs.  – She bought some beautiful flowers.

However, d’autres is used in all styles.

-Avez-vous d’autres projets?  – Do  you have other plans?

-Oui, on en a d’autres.   Yes, we have others.

Use of articles

• The definite article designate a specific noun.

-Je vais te montrer le dessert.   I’m going to show you the dessert.

–Le dessert que tu as préparé?   The dessert you prepared?

• The French definite article labels nouns used in a general sense. English nouns are used without any article in this meaning.

–La démocratie et la liberté sont des traits essentiels de la France.

–Democracy and freedom are basic characteristics of France.

• Contrast the general and specific uses of the definite article in the following example:

-J’adore la viande, mais je n’aime pas la viande qu’on sert dans ce bistrot.

–I love meat (in general), but I don’t like the meat they serve in that bistrot (specific).

• In a restaurant the definite article is often used when ordering.

-Pour moi, le rosbif et pour mon ami, le canard è l’orange.

–I will have roast beef and my friend will have duck in orange sauce.

• The French indefinite article is used much the way its English equivalent is. However, it is not used after il/elle est when followed by an unmodified noun of profession, nationality, or religion.

-Les Bois sont professionnels. Lui, il est avocat et elle, elle est professeur.

–The Bois are professionals. He’s a lawyer and she’s a teacher.

• In a restaurant the indefinite article is often used to designate a service of something.

–Un café et un petit rouge s’il vous plaît.

–A cup of coffee and a glass of red wine please.

• The partitive article before names of foods and beverages designates an indefinite quantity.English may or may not use the words some or any in these cases.

-Tu veux boire du chocolat? 

–Would you like to drink hot chocolate?

-Non, merci. Tu as du café? 

–No, thanks. Do you have any coffee?

• Compare the uses of the articles with the word thé in the following sentences.

–Le thé est une boisson d’origine orientale.

–Tea is a drink that comes fromthe Orient (in general)

-J’aime le thé que vous avez acheté.

–I like the tea that you bought. (specific)

–Un thé, s’il vous plaît.

–A cup of tea, please. (a standard serving, said to the waiter)

-Après mon dîner, je bois du thé.

–After my dinner, I drink tea (indefinite quantity)

• After the prepositions avec and sans, no article is used, unless the noun is modified.

-Il a écouté avec attention.  He listened with attention (attentively).

-Et il a rédigé une composition sans fautes.  And he wrote a composition without mistakes.

-Il a agi avec courage.  He acted courageously.

-Il a agi avec un courage admirable.  He acted with admirable courage.