HOW TO DETERMINE THE FRENCH NOUN’S GENDER?

By Calixte Wondje, Ph.D.

INTRODUCTION

• Determining whether a French noun is masculine or feminine can be difficult because there are no absolute rules. However, there are some patterns and tips that can help:

– Many French nouns follow gender patterns based on their endings.

– Usually, people and animals gender follows the biological sex.

– Most continents are feminine.

– Days, months, seasons, and languages are always masculine.

– These are patterns, which means exceptions exist, so practice is key.

LESSON PLAN

– GENERAL RULE / RÈGLE GÉNÉRALE

– THE WORD ENDING / LA TERMINAISON DU MOT

– Feminine Nouns / Noms Feminins

– Masculine Nouns / Noms Masculins

– PERSONAL DESIGNATION / DÉSIGNATION DE PERSONNES

– NAMES OF THINGS / NOMS DE CHOSES

– NOUNS CHANGING GENDER / NOMS CHANGEANT DE GENRE

GENERAL RULES / RÈGLES GÉNÉRALES

• In French, all common nouns have a gender and are accompanied by an article:

– Article défini : le, la, les (definite article: the, the, the)

– Article indéfini : un, une, des (indefinite article: one, an, some)

– Article partitive : du, de la, des (partitive article: of, of the, of the, some)

• The article is used to determine the noun and to specify its gender (masculine or feminine) and its number (singular or plural).

• The gender of nouns is arbitrary. If in doubt, consult the dictionary.

THE WORD ENDING / LA TERMINAISON DU MOT – PART 1 – THE FEMININE NOUN

FEMININE NOUNS / NOMS FÉMININS

• Look at the word ending to determine its gender.

As a general rule, nouns composed with the suffixes -tion, -sion, -ssion, -ure, -ée, -ure, -ette, -té ,-ille, –ade, -oire, -ion, and -ence / -ance are feminine.

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -tion

– une rédaction (a writing)

– une correction (a correction)

– une traduction (a translation)

– la nation (the nation)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -sion

– une révision (a revision)

– une lésion (a lesion)

– une télévision (a television)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ssion

– une pression (a pressure)

– une session (a session)

– une admission (an admission)

– une répression (a répression)

– une dépression (a depression)

– une expression (an expression)

– une impression (an impression)

– une oppression (an oppression)

– une suppression (a suppression)

– une démission (a resignation)

– une rémission (a remission)

– une permission (a permission)

– une omission (an omission)

– une commission (a commission)

– une transmission (a transmission)

– une soumission (a submission)

– une profession (a profession)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ée

– la journée (the day)

– l’allée (the aisle)

– une année (a year)

– une armée (an army)

– la cheminée (the fireplace / the chimney)

– la dictée (the dictation)

– une fusée (a rocket)

– une idée (an idea)

Exceptions :  le musée (the museum), le lycée (the high school / the secondary school) are masculine

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ure

– une rayure (a scratch)

– une culture (a culture)

– une facture (a bill)

– une peinture (a paint)

– une coiffure (a hairstyle)

– une coupure (a cut)

– une couverture (a blanket)

– une éclaboussure (a splash)

– une déchirure (a tear)

– la chevelure (the hair)

– la toiture (the roof)

– la voiture (the car)

– la manicure (the manicure)

– la pédicure (the pedicure)

– une courbature (a soreness)

– une mouture (a grind)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ette

– la trompette (the trumpet)

– une aiguillette (a small needle)

– une ailette (a small wing)

– une baguette (a baguette / type of bread)

– une bicyclette (a bicycle)

– une boulette (a meatball)

– une cachette (a hiding place)

– une chaînette (a small chain)

– une chaussette (a sock)

– une collerette (a small collar)

– une camionnette (a small truck)

– une cigarette (a cigarette)

The suffix -ette can be added to mean a smaller, weaker, lower ratio, for attenuation, for example:

– une mallette (a briefcase)

– une cigarette (a cigarette)

– une jupette (a small skirt)

– une camionnette (a van /pickup truck)

– une gouttelette (a droplet)

– une fillette (a little girl)

– une pochette (a pouch)

– une affichette (a small poster)

– une cuvette (a small tub)

– une ailette (a fin)

– une amourette (a love affair)

– une andouillette (a small sausage)

– une fourchette (a small fork)

– une balayette (a brush)

– une barbichette (a goatee)

– une clochette (a small bell)

– une chansonnette (a ditty / little song)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -té

– la liberté (the liberty / the freedom)

– la société (the society)

– l’égalité (the equality)

– la fraternité (the brotherhood)

– la pauvreté (the poverty)

– l’honnêteté (the honesty)

– la confidentialité (the confidentiality)

– la mechanceté (the meanness)

– la beauté (the beauty)

– la santé (the health)

– la clarté (the clarity)

– la qualité (the quality)

– la futilité (the futility)

– l’universalité (the universality)

– l’intégrité (the integrity)

– la vanité (the vanity / the conceit)

Exceptions: le côté (the side) , l’été (the summer) are masculine.

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ille

– une famille (a family)

– une fille (a girl)

– une brindille (a twig)

– une abeille (a bee)

– une aiguille (a needle)

– une anguille (an eel)

– une chenille (a caterpillar)

– une andouille (a sausage)

– une grenouille (a frog)

– une feuille (a leaf)

– une paille (a straw)

Exceptions: un portefeuille, (a wallet) un millefeuille (a millefeuille) are masculine

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ade

– une embuscade (an ambush)

– une orangeade (an orangeade)

– une engueulade (a shouting match)

– une promenade (a walk)

– une salade (a salad)

– une baignade (a swin)

– une grillade (a barbecue)

– une marinade (a marinade)

– une escalade (a climb)

– une accolade (a hug)

– une bastonnade (a beating)

– une bousculade (a scuffle)

– une rigolade (a laugh)

– une fusillade (a shootout)

– une glissade (a slide)

– une mascarade (a masquerade)

– une charade (a charade)

– une balade (a stroll)

– une esplanade (an esplanade)

– une tirade (a tirade)

– une débandade (a stampede)

– une enfilade (a row)

– une arcade (an arcade)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -oire

– la victoire (the victory)

– la mémoire (the memory)

– une armoire (a wardrobe)

– une baignoire (a bathtub)

– une balançoire (a swing)

– une bouilloire (a kettle)

– une combinatoire (a combination)

– une échappatoire (an escape route)

– une écritoire (a writing desk)

– une éliminatoire (an elimination)

– une foire (a fair)

– une glissoire (a slide)

– la gloire (fame)

– une histoire (a story)

– une mâchoire (a jaw)

– une mangeoire (a feeder)

– une nageoire (a fin)

– une passoire (a colander)

– une pataugeoire (a paddling pool)

– une patinoire (a skating rink or an ice rink)

– une pâtissoire (a pastry pan)

– une poire (a pear)

– une rôtissoire (a rotisserie)

– une trajectoire (a trajectory)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ion

– la nation (the nation)

– la télévision (the television)

– une abolition (an abolition)

– une abomination (an abomination)

– une abstention (an abstention)

– une accréditation (an accreditation)

– une accusation (an accusation)

– une abréviation (an abbreviation)

– une adoration (an adoration)

– une adoption (an adoption)

– une affection (an affection)

– une affiliation (an affiliation)

– une affirmation (an affirmation)

– une aliénation (an aliénation)

– une agrégation (an aggregation)

– une allocution (an address)

– une amélioration (an improvement)

– une animation (an animation

– une annotation (an annotation

– une annulation (a cancellation)

– une apparition (an appearance)

– une approbation (an approval)

– une appréciation (an appreciation)

– une appréhension (an apprehension)

– une application (an application)

– une fécondation (a fertilization)

– une destruction (a destruction)

– une audition (a hearing)

– une extinction (an extinction)

– une assimilation (an assimilation)

– une articulation (an articulation)

– une attention (an attention)

– une digestion (a digestion)

– une désignation (a designation)

– une fiction (a fiction)

– une négociation (a negotiation)

– une édition (an edition)

– l’aviation (aviation)

– la réception (reception)

– la diffusion (diffusion)

– la pression (pressure)

– la dimension (dimension)

– la validation (validation)

Exceptions: le camion (the truck), le million (the million) l’avion (a plane)are masculine.

Whenever you see a word ending in -ion in English, the probability is high that its French equivalent is feminine.

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ence

– la patience (the patience)

– l’ingérence (interference)

– l’interférence (interference)

– la pertinence (relevance)

– la préférence (preference)

– l’incandescence (incandescence)

– la proéminence (prominence)

– la régence (regency)

– la succulence (succulence)

Exception: le silence (the silence) is masculine.

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -ance

– une accoutumance (an addiction)

– une assurance (a reassurance)

– une attirance (an attraction)

– l’assistance (assistance)

– une brilliance (a brillance)

– une exubérance (an exuberance)

– une ordonnance (a prescription)

– une insistance (an insistence)

– l’itinérance (itinerancy)

– la délivrance (délivrance)

– la déchéance (fall)

– la méconnaissance (ignorance)

– la transhumance (transhumance)

– la voyance (clairvoyance)

– la réjouissance (rejoicing)

– la résonance (resonance)

– l’espérance (hope)

– une outrance (excess)

– une échéance (a deadline)

– la discordance (discordance)

Examples of Feminine Nouns Ending in -esse

Feminine common nouns ending in “-esse” are mainly used to form feminine names for people or roles, as well as to designate the female of an animal. But this ending is also used for common feminine nouns.

Common nouns / Noms communs

– la vitesse (the speed)

– la tristesse (the sadness)

– une liesse (the joy)

– une adresse (an address)

– l’aînesse (the elderhood)

– une allégresse (the joy)

– la détresse (the distress)

– l’étroitesse (the narrowness)

– la faiblesse (the weakness)

– la gentillesse (the kindness)

– une hôtesse (a hostess)

– l’ivresse (the drunkness)

– la politesse (politeness)

– la noblesse (nobility)

– la jeunesse (youth)

– la vitesse (speed)

– la vieillesse (old age)

People/Roles – Personnes/Rôles

– une abbesse (an abbess)

– une chanoinesse (a canoness)

– une mairesse (a mayoress)

– une duchesse (a duchess)

– une poétesse (a poetess)

– une devineresse (a soothsayer)

– une comtesse (a countess)

– une altesse (the highness)

– une déesse (a goddess)

Female Animals /Femelles d’animaux

– une tigresse (a tigress)

– une ogresse (an ogress)

– une ânesse (a female donkey)

– une bufflesse (a female buffalo)

SUMMARY

– In French, all common nouns have a gender and are accompanied by an article.

– Generally, nouns composed with the suffixes –tion, –sion, –ssion, –ure, –ée, –ure, –ette, –té ,-ille, –ade, –oire, -ion, and –ence / –ance are feminine.

– French has many exceptions. So, exposure and practice help.  When in doubt, check a dictionary or learn words in context.

THE WORD ENDING / LA TERMINAISON DU MOT – PART 2 – THE MASCULINE NOUN

MASCULINE NOUNS / NOMS MASCULINS

Look at the word ending to determine its gender.

Generally, nouns composed with the suffixes -ier, -on, -oir and -ement are masculine.

Examples of Masculine Nouns Ending in -ier

– un atelier (a workshop)

– un animalier (an animal keeper)

– un encrier (an inkwell)

– un tablier (an apron)

– un pénitencier (a penitentiary)

– un cahier (a notebook)

– un échéquier (a chessboard)

– un brigadier (a brigadier)

– un briquetier (a bricklayer)

– un braconnier (a poacher)

– un bombardier (a bombardier)

– un bottier (a shoemaker)

– un banquier (a banker)

– un bijoutier (a jeweler)

– un aumônier (a chaplain)

– un cuisinier (a cook)

– un charcutier (a pork butcher)

– un équipier (a teammate)

– un cocotier (a coconut tree)

– un foncier (a piece of land)

– un mobilier (a piece of furniture)

Examples of Masculine Nouns Ending in -on

– un coupon (a coupon)

– un blason (a coat of arms)

– un brouillon (a draft)

– un buisson (a bush)

– un caneton (a duckling)

– un chaperon (a red riding hood)

– un chaton (a kitten)

– un chausson (a slipper)

– un clairon (a bugle)

– un cochon (a pig)

– un cordon (a cord)

– un crayon (a pencil)

– un croûton (a crouton)

– un dindon (a turkey)

– un flocon (a snowflake)

– un glaçon (an ice cube)

– un haillon (a rag)

– un jambon (a ham)

– un piéton (a pedestrian)

– un raton (a raccoon)

– un salon (a living room)

– un saucisson (a sausage)

Examples of Masculine Nouns Ending in -oir

– un miroir (a mirror)

– un présentoir (a display stand)

– un aiguisoir (a sharpener)

– un abattoir (a slaughterhouse)

– un abreuvoir (a drinking trough)

– un accotoir (an armrest)

– un accoudoir (an armrest)

– un bavoir (a bib)

– un boudoir (a boudoir)

– un isoloir (a voting booth)

– un lavoir (a washhouse)

– un mouchoir (a handkerchief)

– un nichoir (a birdhouse)

– un parloir (a parlor)

– un perchoir (a perch)

– un plantoir (a planter)

– un plongeoir (a diving board)

– un présentoir (a display stand)

– un pressoir (a press)

– un rasoir (a razor)

– un réservoir (a reservoir)

– un rouloir (a rolling trough)

– un saignoir (a bleeder)

– un séchoir (a drying rack)

– un semoir (a seeder)

– un terroir (a soil)

– un tiroir (a drawer)

– un trottoir (a sidewalk)

– un urinoir (a urinal)

Examples of Masculine Nouns Ending in -ment

Ex.: un événement (ou un évènement) – an event

Masculine common nouns ending in –ment are often derived from adjectives or present participles of verbs.

– un presentiment: (pressentir) – a presentiment: (to present)

– un paiement (payer) – a payment (to pay)

– un développement: (développer) – a development : (to develop)

– un acheminement: (acheminer) – a routing: (to route)

– un abaissement: (abaisser) – a lowering: (to lower)

– un abolissement: (abolir) – an abolition: (to abolish)

– un acquittement: (acquitter) – an acquittal: (to acquit)

– un acclimatement: (s’acclimater) – an acclimatization: (to acclimatize)

– un avancement: (avancer) – an advancement: (to advance)

– un acquittement: (acquitter) – an acquittal: (to acquit)

– un assolement: (assoler) – Rotation: (to rotate)

– un établissement: (établir) – an establishment: (to establish)

Days of the Week, Months, Seasons, Languages and Trees / Jours de la semaine, mois, saisons, langues et arbres

The names of days of the week, months, seasons, languages and trees are also generally masculine.

Names of Days of the Week / Noms des jours de la semaine

– le lundi – Monday

– le mardi – Tuesday

– le mercredi – Wednesday

– le jeudi – Thursday

– le vendredi – Friday

– le samedi – Saturday

– le dimanche – Sunday

Names of months / Noms de mois

– un décembre froid – a cold December

– un février court – a short February

– un juillet chaud – a hot July

– un janvier long – a long January

– un novembre pénible – a painful November

Names of seasons / Noms de saisons

– un printemps fleuri – a flowery spring

– un été chaud – a warm summer

– un automne coloré – a colorful autumn

– un hiver froid – a cold winter

Language Names / Noms de langues

– le français – French

– le russe – Russian

– le swahili – Swahili

– l’italien – Italian

– le danois – Danish

– l’afrikaans – Afrikaans

– l’allemand – German

– l’espagnol – Spanish

– le néerlandais – Dutch

– l’arabe – Arabic

Tree Names / Noms d’arbres

– un pommier – an apple tree

– un oranger – an orange tree

– un verger – an orchard

– un manguier – mango tree

– un poirier – a pear tree

– un érablier – a maple tree

– un lilas – a lilac tree

– un palmier – a palm tree

– un cocotier – a coconut tree

CONTINENTS / LES CONTINENTS

In French, all continent names are feminine. They usually end with an “e” or another feminine suffix, such as “ie,” “é,” or “a.“ Examples:

– l’Afrique (une Afrique) – Africa

– l’Amérique (une Amérique) – America

– l’Asie (une Asie) – Asia

– l’Europe (une Europe) – Europe

– l’Océanie (une Océanie) – Oceania

– l’Antarctique (une / un Antarctique) – Antarctica

l’Antarctique (une / un Antarctique)

Note that the gender of Antarctique is masculine and feminine. So you can say une Antarctique (feminine) or un Antarctique (masculine).

Another noun in French that has 2 genders is après-midi; you can say: un après-midi (masculine) or une après-midi (feminine).

COUNTRIES / LES PAYS

Countries

In French, country names can be:

•  feminine (“la”, “l’”) or
•  masculine (“le”, “l’”),
•  singular or plural (“les”),
•  or have no article.

Here’s how to choose the correct article before a country name.

1. Masculine Countries

The rule states that country names ending in a consonant or a vowel (except “-e”) are masculine. For example:

– le Canada

– le Japon

– le Portugal

There are exceptions to this rule.

Exceptions to the rule:

– le Belize

– le Cambodge

– le Mexique

– le Mozambique

– le Suriname

– le Zaïre (today le Congo)

– le Zimbabwé

In French, some country names are used without an article, such as:

-Bahreïn (Bahrain)

-Brunéi Darussalam (Brunei Darussalam)

-Djibouti (Djibouti)

-Haïti (Haiti)

-Israël (Israel)

-Monaco (Monaco)

-Oman (Oman)

-Saint-Kitts-et-Nevis (Saint Kitts and Nevis)

-Saint-Marin (San Marino)

-Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

-Singapour (Singapore)

-Tuvalu (Tuvalu)

-Vanuatu (Vanuatu)

Other countries derive their name from a common noun. In this case, the article (le or la) corresponding to the gender of the common noun must be used. For example, Le Royaume Uni (the United Kingdom) is masculine because the word “le royaume” is masculine in French.

2. Feminine Countries

Except for countries without an article and countries in the plural, all countries ending in “-e” are feminine.

For examples:

– la France (France)

– la Suisse (Switzerland)

– la Belgique (Belgium)

– l’Allemagne (Germany)

– l’Angleterre (England)

– la Russie (Russia)

– la Chine (China)

Some feminine country names, such as island names, are used without an article; the word “islands” is implied and not pronounced when giving the name of countries. Examples:

– Chypre (Cyprus)

– Cuba (Cuba)

– Kiribati (Kiribati)

– Malte (Malta)

– Madagascar (Madagascar)

– Nauru (Nauru)

– Sao Tomé et Principe (Sao Tome and Principe)

– Sainte-Lucie (Saint Lucia)

– Taïwan (Taiwan)

– Trinité-et-Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago)

Other countries take their name from a common noun. In this case, use the article (le or la) corresponding to the gender of the common noun.

For example:

l’Union Européenne (European Union) is feminine because the word union is feminine.

Likewise, for la Réunion or l’île de la Réunion (Reunion Island), which is a feminine common noun (la réunion).

Therefore, the country name has the same gender.

3. Countries in the plural

Some countries get their names from the words states, countries and islands, hence the use of the plural. Examples:

– les Émirats arabes unis (United Arab Emirates)

– les États-Unis (d’Amérique), les É-U (United States (of America), USA)

– les Îles Cook (Cook Islands)

– les Îles Féroé (Faroe Islands)

– les Îles Marshall (Marshall Islands)

– les Îles Salomon (Solomon Islands)

– les Pays-Bas (The Netherlands)

Other country names are always used in the plural because they are a collection of states or islands. Examples:

– les Bahamas (the Bahamas)

– les Comores (the Comoros)

– les Fidji (Fiji)

– les Maldives (the Maldives)

– les Philippines (the Philippines)

– les Seychelles (the Seychelles)

– les Tonga (Tonga)

PERSONAL DESIGNATION / DÉSIGNATION DE PERSONNES

The term personal designation is very general. It includes the names of trades and professions, titles, ranks, as well as functions and job titles. It also encompasses names that designate women and men engaged in various social, artistic, sporting, or other activities, and names that indicate the status or status of individuals.

Names for people / Noms de personnes

The gender of nouns designating people generally corresponds to the sex of the being in question:

-un pharmacien (masculine) ; a pharmacist (male);

-une pharmacienne (feminine) ; a pharmacist (female)

-un avocat (masculine) ; a lawyer (male)

-une avocate (feminine) ; a lawyer (female)

-un Canadien (masculine) ; a Canadian (male);

-une Canadienne (feminine) ; a Canadian (female)

-un menteur (masculine) ; a liar (male)

-une menteuse (feminine) ; a liar (female)

-un président (masculine) ; a president (male)

-une présidente (feminine) ; a president (female)

-un lecteur (masculine) ; a reader (male)

-une lectrice (feminine); a reader (female)

-un électeur (masculine) ; a voter (male)

-une électrice (feminine) ; a voter (female)

-un conducteur (masculine) ; a driver (male);

-une conductrice (feminine) ; a driver (female)

-un vagabond (masculine) ; a vagrant (male);

-une vagabonde (feminine) ; a vagrant (female)

-un policier (masculine) ; a policeman (male)

-une policière (feminine) ; a policewoman (female)

-un tuteur (masculine) ; a tutor (male)

-une tutrice (feminine) ; a tutor (female)

-un boursier (masculine) ; a scholarship holder (male)

-une boursière (feminine) ; a scholarship holder (female)

-un danseur (masculine) ; a dancer (male)

-une danseuse (feminine) ; a dancer (female)

Some nouns refer only to men or women

In French, some nouns are specifically masculine or feminine to refer to men or women.

-un père (exclusively masculine)

–a father (exclusively masculine)

-une mère (exclusively feminine)

–a mother (exclusively feminine)

Gender-neutral or epicene nouns (can refer to either a man or a woman)

Activiste:

This noun is the same for a man or a woman who is actively involved in a movement or cause.

Diplomate:

This noun is the same for a man or a woman who works in diplomacy.

Feministe:

This noun is the same for a man or a woman who supports women’s rights.

Journaliste:

This noun is the same for a man or a woman who works in journalism.

Médecin:

This noun is the same for a man or a woman who works in medicine.

Ombudsman:

This noun is the same for a man or a woman who is a mediator.

NAMES OF THINGS / NOMS DE CHOSES

The gender of names of things (objects, plants, feelings, etc.), also called inanimate nouns, does not follow any grammatical rules. It is determined according to the usage or origin of the word, or simply by convention, but not according to the meaning or characteristics of these nouns. Examples:

– une voiture – a car

– un ordinateur – a computer

– une maison – a house

– un téléphone – a telephone

– une marguerite – a daisy

– un hélicoptère – a helicopter

– un train – a train

– un cahier – a notebook

– un livre – a book

– un champ – a field

– une lettre – a letter

– un clavier – a keyboard

– une table – a table

– un tableau – a painting

Depending on the meaning

Some nouns are sometimes masculine, sometimes feminine, depending on their meaning.

For example, the word “hymne’’ (anthem) is generally masculine:

un hymne national – a national anthem

un hymne à l’amour – a hymn to love

However, it is feminine when it refers to a Catholic song:

une hymne latine – a Latin anthem (a Latin hymn)

In the plural

Some nouns, such as: amour, délice et orgue, change gender in the plural. Thus, they are masculine in the singular and feminine in the plural:

– un grand amour (masculine-singular)

– mes premières amours (feminine-plural)

– un vrai délice (masculine-singular)

– des délices insoupçonnées (feminine-plural)

– un orgue majestueux (masculine-singular)

– les grandes orgues de l’église (feminine-plural)

CONCLUSION

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