{"id":37,"date":"2008-12-11T17:50:11","date_gmt":"2008-12-11T21:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=37"},"modified":"2008-12-11T17:50:11","modified_gmt":"2008-12-11T21:50:11","slug":"animate-nouns-and-gender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/animate-nouns-and-gender\/","title":{"rendered":"French Language – Animate Nouns and Gender"},"content":{"rendered":"

We could say that there are six different types of nouns: animate nouns (people, animals), inanimate nouns (things, ideas), proper nouns (such as cities and names), common nouns (such as avenue, libert\u00e9<\/em>), simple nouns (such as fourchette, papier, ami<\/em>) and compound nouns (such as croque-monsieur, bo\u00eete aux lettres<\/em>).\u00a0 <\/span>Today, we\u2019re going to talk about animate nouns and gender.\u00a0 <\/span>Gender??\u00a0 <\/span>Yes, that infamous grammar point that often makes foreign languages seem oh so foreign to English speakers.\u00a0 <\/span>As you will see, there\u2019s not much you can do but memorize the gender for each noun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, the general rule is that you add an -e<\/em> to the written form of the masculine animate noun.\u00a0 <\/span>If that means you have two e\u2019s at the end of the word, then you must put an acute accent mark on the first one or you may have to double the consonant before adding the final -e<\/em>.\u00a0 <\/span>For example:<\/span><\/p>\n

un employ\u00e9\u00a0 <\/span>– une employ\u00e9e<\/span><\/em> (an employee)
\nun \u00e9tudiant\u00a0 <\/span>– une \u00e9tudiante<\/span><\/em> (a student)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are also many nouns that end in -e<\/strong> in the masculine form and you don\u2019t change them at all in the feminine form\u2026you just have to pay attention to the article in order to determine the person or animal\u2019s gender.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:
\nun artiste\u00a0 <\/span>– une artiste<\/span><\/em> (an artist)
\nun coll\u00e8gue – une coll\u00e8gue<\/span><\/em> (a colleague)
\nun enfant – une enfant<\/span><\/em> (a child)
\nun touriste – une touriste<\/span><\/em> (a tourist)
\nun secr\u00e9taire – une secr\u00e9taire<\/span><\/em> (a secretary)
\nun aide – une aide<\/span><\/em> (an assistant)
\nun ministre – une ministre<\/span><\/em> (a minister)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Many times, the prononciation of the word does not change at all.\u00a0 <\/span>However, there are some cases, as when the -e<\/em> is added after a -d, -t, -ois, -ais, -er, -ier<\/em><\/strong> and you have to pronounce that final consonant that isn\u2019t pronounced in the masculine form.\u00a0 <\/span>Also, you many have to add a grave accent mark.\u00a0 <\/span>Here are some examples:<\/span><\/p>\n

un marchand – une marchande<\/span><\/em> (a shopkeeper)
\nun avocat – une avocate<\/span><\/em> (a lawyer)
\nun bourgeois – une bourgeoise <\/span><\/em>(a middle-class person)
\nun Anglais – une Anglaise <\/span><\/em>(an Englishman\/Englishwoman)
\nun boulanger – une boulang\u00e8re <\/span><\/em>(a breadmaker)
\nun boucher – une bouch\u00e8re<\/span><\/em> (a butcher)
\nun infirmier – une infirmi\u00e8re <\/span><\/em>(a nurse)
\nun chat – une chatte<\/em> (a cat)
\nun martyr – une martyre<\/span><\/em> (a martyr)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

In the feminine form, final n’s are sometimes doubled and always pronounced when adding the -e<\/em> to –(i)en<\/em><\/strong> or -on<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>For example:
\nun chien – une chienne<\/span><\/em> (a dog)
\nun lion – une lionne<\/span><\/em> (a lion)
\nun Europ\u00e9en – une Europ\u00e9enne<\/span><\/em> (a European)
\nun espion – une espionne<\/span><\/em> (a spy)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Other times, final n’s are not doubled, but still pronounced when adding the -e<\/em> to -in, -ain, -an<\/em><\/strong> as for example:
\nun cousin – une cousine<\/span><\/em> (a cousin)
\nun Mexicain – une Mexicaine<\/span><\/em> (a Mexican)
\nun Persan – une Persane <\/span><\/em>(a Persian)
\n**But an exception where you do in fact double the n<\/em> is un paysan – une paysann<\/strong>e <\/em>(a peasant).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And with some nouns, the whole final syllable is modified when making them feminine which includes a pronunciation change.\u00a0 <\/span>This happens when the final syllable for the masculine noun ends in -eur, -f,<\/em><\/strong> and sometimes -e<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Here are some examples:
\nun menteur – une menteuse <\/span><\/em>(a liar)
\nun directeur – une directrice<\/span><\/em> (a director)
\nun conducteur – une conductrice<\/span><\/em> (a driver)
\nun acteur – une actrice<\/span><\/em> (an actor – an actress)
\nun danseur – une danseuse <\/span><\/em>(a dancer)
\nun veuf – une veuve<\/span><\/em> (a widower – a widow)
\nun fugitif – une fugitive <\/span><\/em>(a fugitive)
\nun tigre – une tigresse<\/span><\/em> (a tiger)
\nun h\u00f4te – une h\u00f4tesse <\/span><\/em>(a host – a hostess)
\nun ma\u00eetre – une ma\u00eetresse<\/span><\/em> (a master – a mistress or<\/em> a teacher)
\nun dieu – une d\u00e9esse <\/span><\/em>(a god – a goddess)
\nun \u00e2ne – une \u00e2nesse<\/span><\/em> (a donkey)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Some feminine versions of animate nouns are completely different<\/strong> as is the case with\u00a0:
\nun homme – une femme<\/span><\/em> (a man – a woman)
\nun oncle – une tante<\/span><\/em> (an uncle – an aunt)
\nun neveu – une ni\u00e8ce<\/span><\/em> (a nephew – a niece)
\nun cheval – une jument<\/span><\/em> (a horse – a mare)
\nun fr\u00e8re – une s\u0153ur<\/span><\/em> (a brother – a sister)
\nun p\u00e8re – une m\u00e8re<\/span><\/em> (a father – a mother)
\nun taureau – une vache<\/span><\/em> (a bull – a cow)
\nun cochon – une truie<\/span><\/em> (a hog – a sow)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Some animate nouns either have no masculine version<\/strong> or no feminine version<\/strong>. \u00a0<\/span>In other words, regardless of whether or not the person or animal is male or female, there is only one gender you can use for that noun in French.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Here are just a few examples:
\nun auteur<\/span><\/em> \u00a0<\/span>(an author)
\nun amateur <\/span><\/em>(an amateur)
\nun compositeur <\/span><\/em>(a composer)
\nun architecte<\/span><\/em> (an architect)
\nun chef <\/span><\/em>(a chef)
\nun chirurgien <\/span><\/em>(a surgeon)
\nun \u00e9crivain<\/span><\/em> (a writer)
\nun ing\u00e9nieur <\/span><\/em>(an engineer)
\nun t\u00e9moin <\/span><\/em>(a witness)
\nun juge<\/span><\/em> (a judge)
\nun magistrat<\/span><\/em> (a magistrate)
\nun m\u00e9decin<\/span><\/em> (a doctor)
\nun sculpteur<\/span><\/em> (a sculptor)
\nune victime<\/span><\/em> (a victim)
\nune souris<\/span><\/em> (a mouse)
\nune grenouille <\/span><\/em>(a frog)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In these cases, if you wish to specify the gender, then you can add femme<\/em> or homme<\/em> before the noun. For example, un homme victime<\/em>, une femme auteur<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, there are animate nouns that have the very same stem for both genders, but different endings, such as:
\nun compagnon – une compagne<\/span><\/em> (a companion)
\nun h\u00e9ros – une h\u00e9ro\u00efne<\/span><\/em> (a hero – a heroine)
\nun serviteur – une servante<\/span><\/em> (a servant)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

En r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u00a0:<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Masculine\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Feminine<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

-i<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-ie<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-\u00e9<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-\u00e9e<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-u<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-ue<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-l<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-le<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-de<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-t<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-te<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-ois<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-oise<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-ais<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-aise<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-er<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-\u00e8re<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-ier<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

i\u00e8re<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-(i)en<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-(i)enne<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-on<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-onne<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-in<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-ine<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-ain<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-aine<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-an<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-ane<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-teur<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-teuse<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-teur<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-trice<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-eur<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-euse<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-f<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-ve<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

-e<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

-esse<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We could say that there are six different types of nouns: animate nouns (people, animals), inanimate nouns (things, ideas), proper nouns (such as cities and names), common nouns (such as avenue, libert\u00e9), simple nouns (such as fourchette, papier, ami) and compound nouns (such as croque-monsieur, bo\u00eete aux lettres).\u00a0 Today, we\u2019re going to talk about animate…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[194,291,344,374,458],"class_list":["post-37","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-grammar","tag-animate-nouns","tag-french-animate-nouns","tag-french-gender","tag-french-nouns","tag-how-do-you-know-if-a-noun-is-masculine-or-feminine"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t