Quick Study: Nouns

Question 1

Masculine or feminine noun?

• age
• paysage* (landscape)

Answer 1

le paysage

Question 2

Masculine or feminine noun?

• aire
• annivers**aire* (birthday, anniversary)

Answer 2

l’anniversaire (m.)

Question 3

Masculine or feminine noun?

• at
• consul*at (consulate)

Answer 3

le consulat

Question 4

Masculine or feminine noun?

• èle
• parall*èle (parallel)

Answer 4

le parallèle

Question 5

Masculine or feminine noun?

• eur
• l’agricult*eur (farmer)

Answer 5

l’agriculteur (m.)

Question 6

Masculine or feminine noun?

• exe
• compl*exe (complex)

Answer 6

le complexe

Question 7

Masculine or feminine noun?

• isme
• tour*isme (tourism)

Answer 7

le tourisme

Question 8

Masculine or feminine noun?

• ment
• change*ment (change)

Answer 8

le changement

Question 9

Masculine or feminine noun?

• oir
• ras*oir (razor)

Answer 9

le rasoir

Question 10

Masculine or feminine noun?

• phone
• micro*phone (microphone)

Answer 10

le microphone

Question 11

Masculine or feminine noun?

• scope
• magnéto*scope (video recorder)

Answer 11

le magnétoscope

Question 12

What gender are days of the week?

Answer 12

Masculine

Question 13

What gender are months?

Answer 13

Masculine

Question 14

What gender are numbers?

Answer 14

Masculine

Question 15

What gender are the letters of the alphabet?

Answer 15

Masculine

Question 16

What gender are the names of most trees and bushes?

Answer 16

Masculine

un rosier, un piorier

Question 17

What gender are soft drink trade names?

Answer 17

Masculine

un Coca, un Perrier, un Orangina

Question 18

What gender are most words borrowed from other languages?

Answer 18

Masculine

le tennis, le parking

Question 19

Masculine or feminine noun?

• ade
• limon*ade (lemonade)

Answer 19

la limonade

Question 20

Masculine or feminine noun?

• aine
• l*aine (wool)

Answer 20

la laine

Question 21

Masculine or feminine noun?

• ance
• naiss*ance (birth)

Answer 21

la naissance

Question 22

Masculine or feminine noun?

• ence
• différ*ence (difference)

Answer 22

la différence

Question 23

Masculine or feminine noun?

• ère
• mati*ère (matter, subject)

Answer 23

la matière

Question 24

Masculine or feminine noun?

• esse
• nobl*esse (nobility)

Answer 24

la noblesse

Question 25

Masculine or feminine noun? - ette * servi***ette** (napkin, towel)

Answer 25

*la servi**ette***

Question 26

Masculine or feminine noun? - euse * dans***euse** (dancer)

Answer 26

*la dans**euse***

Question 27

Masculine or feminine noun? - ie * boulanger***ie** (bakery)

Answer 27

*la boulanger**ie***

Question 28

Masculine or feminine noun? - ise * bêt***ise** (stupidity, stupid thing)

Answer 28

*la bêt**ise***

Question 29

Masculine or feminine noun? - sion * conver***sion** (conversion)

Answer 29

*la conver**sion***

Question 30

Masculine or feminine noun? - ssion * mi**ssion*** (mission, assignment)

Answer 30

*la mi**ssion***

Question 31

Masculine or feminine noun? - tion * na***tion** (nation)

Answer 31

*la na**tion***

Question 32

Masculine or feminine noun? - té * fraterni***té** (brotherhood)

Answer 32

*la fraterni**té***

Question 33

Masculine or feminine noun? - trice * ac***trice** (actress)

Answer 33

*l'ac**trice*** (f.)

Question 34

Masculine or feminine noun? - ude * solit***ude** (solitude, loneliness)

Answer 34

*la solit**ude***

Question 35

Masculine or feminine noun? - ure * par***ure** (finery, jewelry, set)

Answer 35

*la par**ure***

Question 36

What gender are most automobile trade names?

Answer 36

Feminine *une Ford, une Peugeot*

Question 37

What gender are the names of most nuts and fruits?

Answer 37

Feminine *une pistache, une poire*

Question 38

What do you add to most singular nouns to form their plural?

Answer 38

- s * un livre/des livres* * une chaise/des chaises*

Question 39

How do you make a noun plural that ends in -s, -x, or -z? * un fils* * la croix* * le nez*

Answer 39

It stays the same. * un fils/des fils* * la croix/les croix* * le nez/les nez*

Question 40

How do you make most nouns that end in -al plural? * un canal* * un cheval*

Answer 40

Change -al to -aux. * un canal/des canaux* * un cheval/des chevaux* Exceptions to this rule are several words which only add an -s to form the plural: *bal, cal, carnaval, chacal, festival, régal*.

Question 41

How do you make most nouns that end in -au or -eu plural? * un cheveu* * un bureau*

Answer 41

Add an -x. * un cheveu/des cheveux* * un bureau/des bureaux* Exception: *un pneu/des pneus*

Question 42

How do you make most nouns that end in -ail plural? *un sérail*

Answer 42

Normally one would add an -s. *un sérail/des sérails* Exceptions to this rule are nine nouns that form their plural by adding -aux instead of -s. * bail/baux* * corail/coraux* * émail/emaux* * soupirail/soupiraux* * travail/travaux* * vantail/vantaux* * vitrial/vitraux*

Question 43

How do you make most nouns that end in -ou plural? *un trou*

Answer 43

Add an -s. *un trou/des trous* Exceptions are the following seven words which add an -x. * bijou/bijoux* * caillou/cailloux* * chou/choux* * genou/genoux* * hibou/hiboux* * joujou/joujoux* * pou/poux*

Question 44

What proper nouns are expressed in the plural?

Answer 44

World-renowned names: *les Bonapartes*. Nouns of nationality: *les Russes* Geographical names pertaining to several countries, mountains, etc.: *les Pyrenées,* *les Amériques*

Question 45

Are last names pluralized?

Answer 45

As a rule last names are not pluralized when they refer to: - the entire family: *les Dupont* - two or more individuals having the same name: *les deux Blanchard*