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French Grammar

The Gender of Nouns: Common Word Endings

High‑yield suffix patterns that predict a noun’s grammatical gender.

Level A1 Category Grammar

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Lesson Summary

High‑yield suffix patterns that predict a noun’s grammatical gender.

Grammar

Beyond the Basic Patterns

The previous lesson on gender of nouns: core principles introduced foundational endings such as -age and -tion. This lesson presents additional high‑yield suffixes that further refine gender prediction. The article remains the definitive marker; these patterns serve as a practical guide when encountering new vocabulary.

Additional Masculine Endings

Ending	Examples
-acle	le spectacle, le miracle
-al	le journal, le cheval
-et	le billet, le ticket
-oir	le miroir, le couloir
-phone	le téléphone, le microphone
-scope	le microscope, le télescope

Additional Feminine Endings

Ending	Examples
-ade	la salade, la promenade
-ale	la cathédrale, la rivale
-ette	la baguette, la recette
-ine	la cuisine, la machine
-ique	la musique, la boutique
-oire (often)	la mémoire, la victoire

Applying the Patterns

The endings from both lessons can be combined to estimate the gender of unfamiliar nouns. For instance, la nation (‑tion → feminine) and le billet (‑et → masculine) follow the general rules. Exceptions exist (e.g., le silence is masculine despite ‑ence), but the patterns provide a reliable starting point.

Examples

Je lis le journal le matin.
Masculine noun journal (ending -al).
Nous aimons la musique française.
Feminine noun musique (ending -ique).

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The Gender of Nouns: Common Word EndingsHigh‑yield suffix patterns that predict a noun’s grammatical gender.Predict noun gender with high accuracy using final‑syllable analysis of unfamiliar words.GrammarA1grammarLearn French GrammarFrench GrammarBeyond the Basic PatternsThe previous lesson on gender of nouns: core principles introduced foundational endings such as -age and -tion. This lesson presents additional high‑yield suffixes that further refine gender prediction. The article remains the definitive marker; these patterns serve as a practical guide when encountering new vocabulary.