French Nouns Practice

1. Gender of Nouns

All French nouns have a gender: masculine or feminine.

Masculine endings:
-age, -eau, -ège, -ème, -isme, -ment, -oir

Feminine endings:
-ade, -aille, -ance, -ence, -ette, -ie, -ière, -sion, -tion, -ure

Example: le chapeau (masculine), la table (feminine)

2. Plural Formation

Most nouns form their plural by adding -s.

Special cases:
- Nouns ending in -au, -eu, -eau → add -x
- Nouns ending in -al → change to -aux
- Nouns ending in -s, -x, -z → remain unchanged

Example: le château → les châteaux, le cheval → les chevaux

3. Articles with Nouns

Articles must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

Definite articles:
le (masc. sing.), la (fem. sing.), les (plural), l' (before vowel)

Indefinite articles:
un (masc. sing.), une (fem. sing.), des (plural)

Example: le livre, la pomme, les enfants

4. Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are formed by combining two or more words.

Formation patterns:
- Noun + noun: pomme de terre
- Verb + noun: porte-monnaie
- Preposition + noun: sans-souci

Plural forms: Typically, only the noun component becomes plural.

Example: un gratte-ciel → des gratte-ciel

5. Irregular Plurals

Some nouns have irregular plural forms.

Common irregulars:
- Monsieur → Messieurs
- Madame → Mesdames
- Mademoiselle → Mesdemoiselles
- Œil → Yeux
- Ciel → Cieux

Example: un œil → des yeux

6. Nouns with Double Gender

Some nouns can be both masculine and feminine with different meanings.

Examples:
- Le tour (tour/turn) vs. La tour (tower)
- Le livre (book) vs. La livre (pound)
- Le mode (mode) vs. La mode (fashion)

Example: Je fais le tour de la tour. (I go around the tower.)