{"id":10163,"date":"2017-05-21T21:07:40","date_gmt":"2017-05-21T19:07:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/?p=10163"},"modified":"2017-12-26T11:18:13","modified_gmt":"2017-12-26T09:18:13","slug":"how-to-guess-the-gender-of-french-nouns-accurately","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/french-courses-paris\/how-to-guess-the-gender-of-french-nouns-accurately\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Guess the Gender of French Nouns Accurately"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Feminine or masculine, that is the question you often ask yourself as a French learner<\/h2>\n<h3>In French, there&rsquo;s simply no way to know the gender of every single noun other than by memorizing the gender of each.<\/h3>\n<p>There are, however, certain patterns in suffixes and word endings that give you a clue. As you can see by the number of exceptions listed here, these gender patterns are not reliable indicators, but they can help.<\/p>\n<h4>French Masculine Nouns<\/h4>\n<p>Here are some suffixes that usually indicate French masculine nouns as well as some important exceptions<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-age<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la cage, une image, la nage, la page, la plage, la rage<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-b<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong><em>-ble<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>une cible, une \u00e9table, une fable, une table<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-c<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>la fac<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-cle<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>une boucle<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-de<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions:<em> la m\u00e9thode, la pin\u00e8de; -ade, -nde, -ude <\/em>endings<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-\u00e9<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la cl\u00e9, la psych\u00e9; s\u00e9, t\u00e9, and ti\u00e9 <\/em>endings<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-eau<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions:<em> l&rsquo;eau, la peau<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-\u00e8ge<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>la Norv\u00e8ge<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-et<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-eur<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nNote:\u00a0This applies mainly to names of professions and mechanical or scientific things; also see &#8211;<em>eur<\/em> in the list of feminine endings.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-f<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions:<em> la soif, la clef, la nef<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-i<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la foi, la fourmi, la loi, la paroi<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ing<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-isme<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-k<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-l<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>une roseval<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-m<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>la faim<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-me<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>une alarme, une \u00e2me, une arme, la cime, la coutume, la cr\u00e8me, l&rsquo;\u00e9cume, une \u00e9nigme, une estime, une ferme, une firme, une forme, une larme, une plume, une rame, une rime, -mme <\/em>ending<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ment<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>une jument<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-n<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la fa\u00e7on, la fin, la le\u00e7on, la main, la maman, la ran\u00e7on; -son<\/em> and <em>-ion<\/em> endings<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-o<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la dactylo, la dynamo, la libido, la m\u00e9t\u00e9o, la moto, la steno <\/em>(most of these are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/french-expressions-with-sonner-1368718\">apocopes<\/a> of longer feminine words)<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-oir<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-one<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ou<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-p<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-r<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la chair, la cour, la cuiller, la mer, la tour<\/em> (see feminine <em>-eur<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-s<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la brebis, la fois, une oasis, la souris, la vis<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ste<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la liste, la modiste, la piste;<\/em> names for people like <em>un(e) artiste, un(e) nudiste, <\/em>etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-t<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la burlat, la dent, la dot, la for\u00eat, la jument, la mort, la nuit, la part, la plupart, la ziggourat<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-tre<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>la fen\u00eatre, une hu\u00eetre, la lettre, la montre, la rencontre, la vitre<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-u<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions:<em> l&rsquo;eau, la peau, la tribu, la vertu<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-x<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions:<em> la croix, la noix, la paix, la toux, la voix<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Feminine Noun Endings<\/h4>\n<p>Here are some suffixes that usually indicate feminine nouns, as well as some important exceptions. Remember, we list here the most common endings, because these will be the most useful for you to know.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ace<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un ace, un palace<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ade<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions:<em> le grade, le jade, le stade<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ale<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un ch\u00e2le, un p\u00e9tale, un scandale<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ance<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-be<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions:<em> un cube, un globe, un microbe, un tube, un verbe<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>-ce<\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un artifice, un armistice, un appendice, le b\u00e9n\u00e9fice, le caprice, le commerce, le dentifrice, le divorce, un exercice, un office, un orifice, un pr\u00e9cipice, un prince, un sacrifice, un service, le silence, le solstice, le supplice, un vice<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-c\u00e9<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>un crustac\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-e<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Note:<\/em>\u00a0Most countries and names that end in <em>e<\/em> are feminine.<br \/>\n<strong><em>-ee<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>un pedigree<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-\u00e9e<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un apog\u00e9e, un lyc\u00e9e, un mus\u00e9e, un p\u00e9rig\u00e9e, un troph\u00e9e<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-esse<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-eur<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nNote: This applies mainly to abstract qualities and emotions, except <em>le bonheur, l&rsquo;ext\u00e9rieur, l&rsquo;honneur, l&rsquo;int\u00e9rieur, le malheur, le meilleur. <\/em>Also see <em>-eur<\/em>\u00a0on the list of masculine endings.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-fe<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>le golfe<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ie<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un incendie, le foie, le g\u00e9nie, le parapluie, le sosie<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-i\u00e8re<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>l&rsquo;arri\u00e8re, le cimeti\u00e8re, le derri\u00e8re<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ine<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>le capitaine, le domaine, le moine, le magazine, le patrimoine<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ion<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un avion, un bastion, un billion, un camionun espion, un ion, un lampion, un lion, un million, le morpion, un pion, un scion, un scorpion, un trillion<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ique<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un graphique, un p\u00e9riph\u00e9rique<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ire<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un auditoire, un commentaire, un dictionnaire, un directoire, un horaire, un itin\u00e9raire, l&rsquo;ivoire, un laboratoire, un navire, un pourboire, le purgatoire, le r\u00e9pertoire, le salaire, le sommaire, le sourire, le territoire, le vocabulaire<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ise<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ite<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>l&rsquo;anthracite, un ermite, le granite, le graphite, le m\u00e9rite, l&rsquo;opposite, le pl\u00e9biscite, un rite, un satellite, un site, un termite<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-lle<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>le braille, un gorille, un intervalle, un mille, un portefeuille, le vaudeville, le vermicelle, le violoncelle<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-mme<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Exceptions: <em>un dilemme, un gramme, un programme<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-nde<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>le monde<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-nne<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ole<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<em>\u00a0<\/em>Exceptions:<em> le contr\u00f4le, le monopole, le r\u00f4le, le symbole<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-rre<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>le beurre, le parterre, le tonnerre, le verre<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-se<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un carosse, un colosse, le gypse, l&rsquo;inverse, un malaise, un pamplemousse, un parebrise, le suspense<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-s\u00e9<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un expos\u00e9, un oppos\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-sion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-son<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un blason, un blouson<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-t\u00e9<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>un arr\u00eat\u00e9, le comit\u00e9, le comt\u00e9, le c\u00f4t\u00e9, un d\u00e9put\u00e9, un \u00e9t\u00e9, le p\u00e2t\u00e9, le trait\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ti\u00e9<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-tion<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Exception:<em> le bastion<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ude<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>le coude, un interlude, le pr\u00e9lude<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ue<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nException: <em>un abaque<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ule<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>le pr\u00e9ambule, le scrupule, le tentacule, le v\u00e9hicule, le ventricule, le vestibule<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>-ure<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\nExceptions: <em>le cyanure, le dinosaure, le murmure<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Feminine or masculine, that is the question you often ask yourself as a French learner In French, there&rsquo;s simply no [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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or masculine, that is the question you often ask yourself as a French learner In French, there&rsquo;s simply no [&hellip;]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frenchcourses-paris.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}