Le genre: gender of French nouns
What is noun gender in French?
Unlike English, French nouns have a gender (genre): they can be masculine (masculin) or feminine (féminin). There are different ways to find out a noun’s gender: we can look in the dictionary and check for the abbreviations m. (masculine) or f. (feminine); we can check the noun’s ending, which generally gives an indication whether the noun is masculine or feminine; or we can look at the noun’s article. Nouns with le or un are masculine, and nouns with la or une are feminine. You should always learn nouns together with their articles to be sure of their gender.
Learn all about the gender of nouns in French grammar with Lingolia’s quick and easy examples, then put your knowledge to the test in the free exercises.
Contents

How to tell if a noun is masculine or feminine in French?
Typical endings for French masculine nouns
Ending/Word Type | Example |
---|---|
-e/-é | le maîtreteacher, le résumésummary, le préfield |
-eur | le vendeursales assistant, le danseurdancer |
-ien | le musicienmusician, le chiendog |
-(i)er | le boucherbutcher, l’ouvrierlabourer |
-on | le baronbaron, le patronboss exceptions: la boissondrink, la façonmanner, la liaisonliaison, la maisonhouse, la raisonreason, la rançonransom, la saisonseason, la chansonsong |
-teur | le traducteurtranslator |
-age | le garagegarage, le sauvetagerescue exceptions: la cagecage, l’imageimage, la nageswimming, la pagepage, la plagebeach, la ragerabies |
-al | le journalnewspaper, le chevalhorse |
-eau | le bateauboat, le châteaucastle exceptions: l’eauwater, la peauskin |
-ent | le segmentsegment, le présentpresent exception: la jumentmare |
-et | le billetticket, le projetproject |
-asme/ -isme |
le fantasmeghost, l’enthousiasmeenthusiasm, le tourismetourism, le charismecharisma |
-in | le cousincousin, le baldaquincanopy |
-oir | l’arrosoirwatering can, le fermoirclasp |
-ail | le travailwork |
cardinal points | le nordnorth, le sudsouth, l’esteast, l’ouestwest |
days months seasons |
le lundiMonday, le jeudiThursday, le dimancheSunday févrierFebruary, avrilApril, octobreOctober l’étésummer, le printempsspring, l’automneautumn, l’hiverwinter |
trees | le sapinpine, le peuplierpopular, le chêneoak |
languages | le françaisFrench, l’allemandGerman, l’anglaisEnglish |
Typical endings for French feminine nouns
Ending/Word Type | Example |
---|---|
-esse | la maîtresse(female) teacher |
-euse | la vendeuse(female) sales assistant, la danseuse(female) dancer |
-ienne | la musicienne(female) musician, la chienne(female) dog |
-(i)ère | la bouchère(female) butcher, l’ouvrière(female) labourer |
-onne | la baronnebaroness, la patronne(female) boss |
-trice | la traductrice(female) translator |
-ade | la pommadecream, la façadefaçade exception: le stadestadium |
-ance/-ence | l’ambulanceambulance, l’essenceessence exception: le silencesilence |
-ée | l’arrivéearrival, l’idéeidea exceptions: le muséemuseum, le lycéecollege, le trophéetrophy, l’apogéeheight, le mausoléemausoleum |
-elle | la demoisellegirl |
-ette | la poussettepram, la cigarettecigarette |
-ie | la géologiegeology, la librairiebook shop exception: l’incendiefire |
-ine | la cuisinekitchen, la cabinecabin |
-ise | la surprisesurprise, la devisecurrency/motto |
-aille | la trouvaillefind |
-t(i)é | la pitiépity, la confidentialitéconfidentiality exceptions: le comitécommittee, le côtéside, l’étésummer, le pâtépâté |
-ure | la confiturejam, la cultureculture exception: le murmuremurmur |
the continents | l’EuropeEurope, l’AsieAsia |
academic disciplines | la médecinemedicine, la philosophiephilosophy, la chimiechemistry |
People/Animals
- For people and animals, the gender of the noun usually corresponds to the biological gender.
Masculine | Feminine | |
---|---|---|
People | le garçonboy | la fillegirl |
Animals | le coqrooster | la poulehen |
- Certain animal nouns have a fixed gender and refer to both males and females. To specify the animal’s biological gender, we add the word mâle (male) or femelle (female) before or after the noun.
- Example:
- La souris mâle.The male mouse.
- La femelle du crocodile.The female crocodile.
- However, there are also nouns that have one form for both the masculine and the feminine.
- Example:
- un/une touristea tourist
Job titles
- Certain job titles do not have a separate feminine form because they already end in -e.
- Examples:
- un/une journalistea journalist
- un/une librairea bookseller
- un/une interprètean interpreter
- un/une ministrea minister
- Likewise, there are other job titles that only exist in the masculine form but refer to both men and women.
- Examples:
- un/une ingénieuran engineer
- un/une professeura teacher
- un/une chirurgiena surgeon
- un/une médecina doctor
- The majority of professions that were previously only associated with men now have their own feminine form, except for those ending in -e or -eur. However, the use of these feminine forms is not very common, not is it compulsory.
- Examples:
- un magistrat – une magistrate/une magistratmagistrate
- un écrivain – une écrivaine/une écrivaina writer
- Exception: un auteur – une auteurean actor/actress
- Certain professions only exist in the masculine form (grammatically!) but describe both men and women:
- Examples:
- un plombiera plumber
- un mécaniciena mechanic
- Likewise, there are some professions that only have a feminine form in French grammar:
- Examples:
- une sage-femmea midwife
- une hôtesse de l’airair hostess (masculine form: un steward}}
- une femme de ménagecleaner (masculine form: un technicien de surface}}
Info
Some job titles only exist in the masculine because their meaning changes when they are used in the feminine form.
- Examples:
- le médecin (a doctor) — la médecine (medicine)
- le jardinier (a gardener) — la jardinière (window box)
Names of countries and reagions
- All countries ending with -e are feminine.
- Examples:
- la FranceFrance
l’AllemagneGermany
la ChineChina
la BretagneBrittany
la ProvenceProvence
- All countries ending with a different vowel or a consonant are masculine.
- Examples:
- le CanadaCanada
le PérouPeru
le MarocMorocco
le JaponJapan
le PortugalPortugal