Articles and Gender in French: A Clear Guide
In French, nouns have grammatical gender, which can be either masculine or feminine. This affects the articles and adjectives used with the nouns. Understanding gender is essential for proper sentence construction.
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The rule
The core rule is that every noun in French is assigned a gender, which determines the form of the definite and indefinite articles used. The definite articles are 'le' for masculine nouns and 'la' for feminine nouns, while the indefinite articles are 'un' for masculine and 'une' for feminine. There are patterns that can help guess the gender of nouns, but there are exceptions.
Articles and Gender at a glance
| Ending | Gender |
|---|---|
| -age | Masculine |
| -tion | Feminine |
| -ment | Masculine |
| -té | Feminine |
| -eur | Masculine |
| -esse | Feminine |
| -eau | Masculine |
| -ie | Feminine |
Common patterns for guessing the gender of French nouns
Examples you can say out loud
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Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a noun is masculine or feminine?
Look for common patterns in the endings of the nouns, but be aware of exceptions.