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French Grammar

The Gender of Nouns: Core Principles

The fixed masculine or feminine classification of every French noun and the spelling patterns that predict it.

Level A1 Category Grammar

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Lesson Summary

The fixed masculine or feminine classification of every French noun and the spelling patterns that predict it.

Grammar

Every Noun Possesses a Gender

In French, all nouns – including those denoting objects and abstract concepts – belong to either a masculine or a feminine category. The article that accompanies the noun is the most reliable marker of its gender; for this reason, each noun should be memorised together with its article. See definite articles and indefinite articles for a full presentation of the article system.

High‑Yield Gender Patterns

Ending	Gender	Examples
-age	masculine	le fromage, le voyage, le garage
-ment	masculine	le moment, le médicament, le monument
-eau, -au	masculine	le gâteau, le bureau, le chapeau
-isme	masculine	le tourisme, le cyclisme
-tion, -sion	feminine	la nation, la télévision, la profession
-té, -tié	feminine	la liberté, la moitié, la beauté
-ence, -ance	feminine	la science, la chance, la différence
-ure	feminine	la nature, la culture, la chaussure

The Silent ‑e Guideline

Many words ending in a silent ‑e are feminine, but numerous exceptions exist (le musée, le lycée, le problème). The patterns listed in the table above provide a more dependable method of prediction.

Familiar Nouns from Earlier Lessons

Nouns already encountered include le matin, le midi, le soir (all masculine), and la bibliothèque, la faculté, la cafétéria, la médecine (all feminine). The ending‑based rules support these classifications.

Examples

Le fromage est bon.
Masculine noun fromage (ending -age) with the article le.
La télévision est grande.
Feminine noun télévision (ending -sion) with the article la.

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The Gender of Nouns: Core PrinciplesThe fixed masculine or feminine classification of every French noun and the spelling patterns that predict it.Assign gender to unfamiliar nouns using high‑accuracy ending patterns and article cues.GrammarA1grammarLearn French GrammarFrench GrammarEvery Noun Possesses a GenderIn French, all nouns – including those denoting objects and abstract concepts – belong to either a masculine or a feminine category. The article that accompanies the noun is the most reliable marker of its gender; for this reason, each noun should be memorised together with its article. See definite articles and indefinite articles for a full presentation of the article system.