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Singular and Plural in French

Le singulier et le pluriel / Singular and Plural :

 

French plural are more complex than English plurals. Most singular words have their plural ending in s but there are exceptions and particularities to certain words that will be observed in this lesson.

 

 

  • In French, an s is added to nouns to form the plural.

F  example:    

Un homme – des hommes (a man – men)

Une fleur – des fleurs  (a flower – flowers)

Une femme – des femmes (a woman – women)

 

  • Note that in french plural the final s is in most cases not pronounced, except when there is a “liaison” between two words

 

F Examples:

-       Des maisons éloignées –        /  distant houses

-       Des sommets enneigés  –             ( snowy peaks)

 

  • The articles and verbs agree with the nouns.

 

 

Singular

Plural

Definite articles

Le                            Masculine                             La                            Feminine                      

L’                             In front of a vowel      

les

Indefinite articles

Un                            Masculine                     

Une                          Feminine                      

des

Partitive articles

Du                           Masculine                     

de la                       Feminine                       

de l’                        In front of a vowel      

des

 

                      

 

  • Some singular nouns end in –s, in –x or –z, in this case there is no additional –s.

F La  souris - les souris (mice) 

Le mois - les mois (months) 

La voix -  les voix (voices) 

Le nez - les nez (noses)

Le gaz - les gaz (gases)

 

  • There are also irregular nouns that don’t follow any rule:

 

F Examples:

Le ciel – les cieux (skies)

Un oeil – des yeux ( eyes)

 

 

  • Nouns and adjectives ending eau – eu – ou – au - oeu have their plural ending in –x.  

Nouns ending in eau – eu – ou – au - oeu in their plural forms:

Nouns ending in –bateau (boat)

bateau>bateaux ‘boats’

marteau>marteaux ‘hammers’

eau>eaux ‘waters’

Nous ending in  -jeu (game)

jeu>jeux ‘games’

neveu>neveux ‘nephews’

A few nouns ending in –caillou (stone)

bijoux>bijoux ‘jewels’

caillou>cailloux ‘pebbles’

chou>choux ‘cabbages’

pou>poux ‘lice’

genou>genoux ‘knee’

hibou>hiboux ‘howl’

joujou>joujoux ‘toy’

Nouns ending in –tuyau (hose)

noyau>noyaux ‘stone (of fruit)/ (core of)

tuyau>tuyaux ‘hoses or pipes’

Nouns ending in –voeu (wish)

vœu>vœux ‘wishes’

 

 

ü   Exceptions: bleu/bleus (bruises or blue)       and        Pneu/pneus (tires)

 

 

 

 

Nouns ending in ail- al in their plural form -aux

Nouns ending in –ail

travail - travaux (works)

corail - coraux (corals)

Nouns ending in –al

cheval - chevaux (horses)

journal - Journaux (newspapers)

animal - animaux (animals)

 

 

ü  Exceptions : festivalscarnavalsbals

 

 

 

 

 

  • Some words are plural in French but not in English

-       les affaires ‘business’.

-       les cheveux ‘hair’

-       les applaudissements ‘applause’

-       les bagages ‘luggage’

-       les ténèbres ‘darkness’

-       des renseignements ‘information’

 

-       Some words are plural in English and not in French. un short ‘shorts’

-       un pantalon ‘trousers’

-       un slip ‘underpants’

-       un jean ‘jeans’

-       Un escalier ‘stairs’

Exercises

Des chevaux – un cheval.

All Exercises