French Masculine and Feminine Nouns: Essential Patterns

Basic Concept

In French, every noun has a gender - either masculine (le) or feminine (la). This affects articles, adjectives, and related words that must agree with the noun.

Common Endings That Signal Gender

Typically Feminine (-e endings)

• -tion (la situation)
• -sion (la télévision)
• -té (la beauté)
• -ie (la boulangerie)
• -ette (la cigarette)
• -ence (la patience)
• -ance (la chance)

Example Sentences:

1. "La situation est complexe" (The situation is complex)

• "Situation" is feminine because of the -tion ending

2. "J'aime la boulangerie" (I like the bakery)

• "Boulangerie" is feminine due to the -ie ending

Typically Masculine

• -age (le garage)
• -ment (le monument)
• -eau (le bateau)
• -isme (le tourisme)
• -in (le jardin)
• -et (le jouet)
• -il (le travail)

Example Sentences:

1. "Le garage est fermé" (The garage is closed)

• "Garage" is masculine because of the -age ending

2. "Le tourisme est important" (Tourism is important)

• "Tourisme" is masculine due to the -isme ending

Major Exceptions to Know

Feminine Despite "Masculine" Endings

• une image (despite -age)
• une page (despite -age)
• une cage (despite -age)
• une plage (despite -age)

Masculine Despite "Feminine" Endings

• le silence (despite -ence)
• le service (despite -ice)
• le guide (despite -e)
• le monde (despite -e)

Categories That Follow Gender Patterns

Always Feminine

1. Countries ending in -e

• la France, la Chine, l'Italie Exception: le Mexique, le Cambodge

2. Languages and sciences ending in -e

• la physique, la chimie Exception: le russe

Always Masculine

1. Days and months

• le lundi, le janvier

2. Trees and numbers

• le chêne, le million

Common Word Pairs

le livre (book) vs. la livre (pound) le poste (job) vs. la poste (post office) le tour (turn) vs. la tour (tower)

Example Sentences:

1. "J'ai acheté le livre" (I bought the book) vs. "Une livre de pommes" (A pound of apples)

2. "Le tour de France" (The Tour de France) vs. "La tour Eiffel" (The Eiffel Tower)

Tips for Learning

1. Always learn nouns with their articles

• Instead of "maison," learn "la maison"

2. Notice patterns in word families

• If "danse" is feminine, "danseuse" (female dancer) will be too

3. Pay attention to meaning changes

• "le mode" (method) vs. "la mode" (fashion)

4. Create associations

• Words ending in -age are usually masculine like "le garage"
• Words ending in -tion are always feminine like "la situation"

Practice identifying these patterns in real French texts, focusing on the articles that accompany nouns.

Remember that while patterns help, some words simply need to be memorized as exceptions.