Le Genre des Noms — le or la? masculine or feminine | French Grammar
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le or la? — the endings that tip you off. This guide explains Le Genre des Noms in French with clear rules and real examples for every CEFR level. For example: -ment → le gouvernement, le moment.
Le Genre des Noms
le or la? — the endings that tip you off
1. Souvent MASCULIN
| Terminaison | Exemples |
|---|---|
| -ment | le gouvernement, le moment |
| -age | le fromage, le voyage (⚠ la page, la plage) |
| -eau | le bureau, le château (⚠ l’eau, la peau) |
| -isme / -eur (métier) | le tourisme, le professeur |
| -in / -on / -er | le vin, le pain, le boulanger |
2. Souvent FÉMININ
| Terminaison | Exemples |
|---|---|
| -tion / -sion | la nation, la décision |
| -té / -té | la liberté, la beauté |
| -ette / -elle | la baguette, la poubelle |
| -ance / -ence | la chance, la science |
| -ure / -ude | la voiture, la certitude |
3. À apprendre par cœur (learn the noun WITH its article)
| Toujours avec l’article | Pourquoi |
|---|---|
| un problème, un système | -ème = masc (grec) |
| une eau, une peau | exceptions to -eau |
| le/la — apprends-les ensemble | LA seule méthode sûre |
💡 La vraie méthode
Endings give you a good guess (~80%), not a rule. -tion/-té/-ette → féminin ; -ment/-age/-eau → masculin.
The ONLY reliable method: learn every noun WITH its article — say « une table », not just « table ». Store the gender in the sound.
Watch classic traps: la page, la plage, l’eau, la peau — they break the -age/-eau patterns.
📚 Free French lessons at learnfrench.co
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
« nation » is masculine or feminine? (-tion)
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feminine (la nation)
« fromage » → ___ fromage (-age)
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le
« liberté » → ___ liberté (-té)
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la
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🎯 More practice — translation — put it into French
Translate into French: « The decision is difficult. » (translation)
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La décision est difficile.
Translate into French: « The trip was long. » (translation)
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Le voyage était long.
Translate into French: « I love freedom. » (translation)
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J’adore la liberté.
Go further: 7 common French mistakes English speakers make.
Le Genre des Noms in French — FAQ
How does Le Genre des Noms work in French?
le or la? — the endings that tip you off. The key patterns are: -ment → le gouvernement, le moment; -age → le fromage, le voyage (⚠ la page, la plage); -eau → le bureau, le château (⚠ l’eau, la peau). Follow the full set of rules in the lesson above.
What are the main rules for Le Genre des Noms?
For example: -ment gives le gouvernement, le moment, and -age gives le fromage, le voyage (⚠ la page, la plage). The lesson above covers every case with more examples.
What CEFR level is Le Genre des Noms?
This topic is introduced around A2 and refined at higher levels — pick your level from the links at the top of the page. You can also drill it with the interactive exercises and games below.
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🎬 The 20-second version
3 quick questions on « Le Genre des Noms » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →