📖 French Articles & Noun Gender
French articles and noun gender: masculine vs feminine forms with clear patterns. Free French grammar guide for learners with clear rules and examples.
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Two Genders
Every French noun is either masculine (masculin) or feminine (féminin). There is no neuter gender. The gender of a noun affects which article, adjective forms, and pronouns you use with it. While some genders are logical (un homme is masculine, une femme is feminine), most are arbitrary — a table (la table) is feminine, a book (le livre) is masculine. You must memorize the gender with each new noun.
Definite Articles
Definite articles are used for specific nouns ("the"). French has four forms depending on gender, number, and whether the next word starts with a vowel. Definite articles are also used for general concepts and preferences, which is different from English: "J’aime le chocolat" means "I like chocolate (in general)."
| Masculine | Feminine | Before Vowel/Silent H | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article | le | la | l’ | les |
| Example | le chat | la maison | l’école | les enfants |
| Translation | the cat | the house | the school | the children |
Indefinite Articles
Indefinite articles mean "a," "an," or "some." They change based on gender and number.
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article | un | une | des |
| Example | un livre | une pomme | des amis |
| Translation | a book | an apple | some friends |
Partitive Articles (du / de la / des)
Partitive articles express "some" or an unspecified quantity of something — especially with uncountable nouns like food, drink, and abstract concepts. English often omits the article entirely, but French always requires one.
| Masculine | Feminine | Before Vowel/Silent H | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article | du | de la | de l’ | des |
| Example | du café | de la salade | de l’eau | des légumes |
| Translation | (some) coffee | (some) salad | (some) water | (some) vegetables |
Gender Patterns
While gender must ultimately be memorized, common word endings strongly predict whether a noun is masculine or feminine. Learning these patterns gives you a head start with new vocabulary.
| Ending | Gender | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -tion, -sion | feminine | la nation, la télévision |
| -ment | masculine | le moment, le gouvernement |
| -eur | usually masculine | le docteur, le moteur |
| -euse | feminine | la chanteuse, la danseuse |
| -age | usually masculine | le voyage, le fromage |
| -ée | usually feminine | la journée, la pensée |
| -ence, -ance | feminine | la patience, la France |
| -eau | masculine | le chapeau, le bateau |
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