Noun Gender in French
Le genre des noms
In French, every noun has a grammatical gender: masculine or feminine. Gender affects articles, adjectives, and pronouns.
Why Noun Gender Matters
Knowing the gender of a noun is essential because it determines which articles, adjectives, and pronouns must be used with it.
| Element | Masculine Example | Feminine Example |
|---|---|---|
| Definite article | le livre (the book) | la table (the table) |
| Indefinite article | un ami (a friend) | une amie (a friend) |
| Adjective agreement | un livre intéressant | une table intéressante |
| Pronoun reference | il est nouveau | elle est nouvelle |
Masculine vs Feminine Nouns
French nouns are classified as masculine or feminine. The gender is fixed and must be learned with the noun.
- Masculine nouns often end in -age, -ment, -eau
- Feminine nouns often end in -tion, -sion, -té, -ette
- There are many exceptions, so rules help but do not replace memorization
Common Gender Endings
Some noun endings strongly suggest a noun’s gender:
| Ending | Gender | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -age | Masculine | le fromage |
| -ment | Masculine | le gouvernement |
| -eau | Masculine | le bateau |
| -tion | Feminine | la nation |
| -sion | Feminine | la décision |
| -té | Feminine | la liberté |
| -ette | Feminine | la baguette |
Articles and Gender
Articles change according to the gender of the noun:
| Type | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| Definite | le | la |
| Indefinite | un | une |
| Before vowel/silent h | l’ | l’ |
Adjective Agreement with Gender
Adjectives must agree with the noun in gender (and number). Feminine forms are often created by adding -e.
| Masculine | Feminine | Example |
|---|---|---|
| petit | petite | un petit garçon / une petite fille |
| grand | grande | un grand jardin / une grande maison |
| intéressant | intéressante | un film intéressant / une histoire intéressante |
Questions About Gender
Helpful questions learners often ask when identifying noun gender:
- Which article is used with the noun?
- Does the ending match a common gender pattern?
- Is the noun listed with its article in a dictionary?
Important Exceptions
Some nouns do not follow common ending patterns and must be memorized individually.
| Noun | Gender | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| le problème | Masculine | the problem |
| le système | Masculine | the system |
| la main | Feminine | the hand |
| la fin | Feminine | the end |
Example Sentences
Natural Gender
For people and animals, grammatical gender often matches biological gender, but not always.