Every French noun is masculine or feminine — and that changes everything
English has no grammatical gender. French does — every noun is either masculine or feminine, and the article (the/a) must match. This affects articles, adjectives, and pronouns throughout French.
| English | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| the | le livre (the book) | la table (the table) |
| a / an | un café (a coffee) | une maison (a house) |
| the (plural) | les livres / les tables | |
Use le before masculine nouns, la before feminine nouns, l' before any noun starting with a vowel or silent h, and les for all plural nouns.
English uses a/an for singular indefinite nouns and nothing (or some) for plural. French uses un (masc.), une (fem.), and des (plural).
Note: des often translates as nothing in English: des pommes = "apples" (not "some apples").
Gender must be learned with each noun. But some endings are reliable clues:
| Usually Masculine | Usually Feminine |
|---|---|
| -age (le village) | -tion (la nation) |
| -ment (le gouvernement) | -té (la liberté) |
| -eau (le gâteau) | -ure (la voiture) |
| -isme (le tourisme) | -eur (la couleur — mostly) |
Tip: Always learn nouns with their article: not chat but le chat.
de + le and à + le always contract. de la and à la do NOT contract.