In order to know the gender of a noun in the French language, language users must be able to recognize the alterable suffixes which signalize it. On other occasions, gender may be defined by the form of an article which happens every time given word retains its base in either case.
How to Define Gender of Nouns in French
Usually, gender will be marked by the suffix of any noun, or by the form of an accompanying article. In the French language, there is a number of nouns whose gender is defined by articles only, and those whose gender is not marked in either case, as well as those whose gender can be defined by alterable suffixes. See examples below.
Nouns whose gender is defined by article only:
- n artiste – une artiste
- un camarade – une camarade
- un élève – une élève
- un enfant – une enfant
- un propriétaire – une propriétaire
- un slave – une slave
In all of the above examples, gender of the noun is signalized only by the gender of the indefinite article which precedes it.
Nouns whose feminine and masculine forms are identical:
- agent
- amateur
- assassin
- chef
- defenseur
- docteur
- écrivain
- facteur
- ingénieur
- juge
- médecin
- ministre
- orateur
- possesseu
- journalist
- aide
The above nouns retain their original forms regardless of gender to which they refer.
How to Create the Feminine Gender in French Nouns
Feminine gender in French is created by changing the form of noun’s suffix as it appears in its masculine form. Different suffixes will undergo different changes, with only few exceptions also applying to the rule:
- -el and –eau change into elle, e.g. chameau – chamelle;
- -en and –on change into enne; onne, e.g. champion – championne;
- -ain and –in change into aine; ine, e.g. copain – copine;
- -et changes into -ette, e.g. coquet – coquette;
- -at changes into –ate, e.g. l’avocat – l’avocate;
- -ot changes into –ote, e.g. idiot – idiote;
- -er changes into –ére, e.g. Boulanger – boulangére;
- -f changes into –ve, e.g. veuf – veuve;
- -c changes into –que, e.g. Grec – Greque;
- -eur changes into –euse, e.g. chanteur – chanteuse;
- -teur changes into –trice, e.g. acteur – actrice.
Among French nouns, there is also a long list of words which have different forms in different genders, such as: le pére - la mére, le parrain - la marraine, le mari - la femme, le fils - la fille, le garçon - la fille, le frére - la soeur, l'oncle - la tante, le mâle - la femelle.
Learning how to properly recognize as well as create given gender in French nouns is relatively easy. Apart from several exceptions listed and explained above, all nouns undergo the same inflection adequate to their suffixes. For more information, consult a list of articles on French grammar.
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