Introduction
French nouns are either Monsieurs or Madams. Interestingly, native speakers associate masculine qualities with masculine nouns and feminine qualities with feminine nouns. Ideally, when learning a noun you should learn its gender as well. A French friend of mine suggested I put skirts on the feminine objects in the pictorial guide, and maybe a little mustache on the masculine objects. So far I haven't had time to wrap a skirt around la banane or put pantyhose on l'araignée, but maybe you can use your imagination.
People nouns
People nouns are generally easy. If a person is a male then the noun is masculine and a masculine article is used, if the person is female then the noun is feminine and a feminine article is used.
| acrobate | acrobat | comptable | accountant | gosse | kid | |
| adulte | adult | concierge | caretaker | hypocrite | hypocrite | |
| aide | helper | cycliste | cyclist | journaliste | journalist | |
| aristocrate | aristocrat | dentiste | dentist | juge | judge | |
| artiste | artist | élève | student | nationaliste | nationalist | |
| astronaute | astronout | enfant | child | pirate | pirate | |
| bureaucrate | bureaucrat | fleuriste | florist | scientifique | scientist | |
| camarade | comrade |
|
Elle embrasse un cycliste.Many people nouns have masculine and a feminine forms.
She is kissing a cyclist (male).
| l'employé le fermier le cousin l'anglais le champion l'européen le vendeur l'acteur le veuf |
l'employée la fermière la cousine l'anglaise la championne l'européenne la vendeuse l'actrice la veuve |
employee farmer cousin Englishman/woman champion european salesman/woman actor/actress widower/widow |
There are people nouns, however, which are always of a particular gender no matter what the sex of the person.
| la vedette le capitaine le savant le mannequin le clown le pilot |
star (actor/actress) captain wise person fashion model clown pilot |
Paul Belmondo est ma vedette préférée.
Paul Belmondo is my favorite actor/star.
Practice the gender of people nouns
Animals
Some animals have both male and female versions.
| un homme un chat un chien un ours un rat un cheval un taureau un coq un renard |
une femme une chatte une chienne une ourse une rate une jument une vache une poule une renarde |
human cat dog bear rat horse bull/cow rooster/chicken fox |
Most species of animals are either masculine or feminine and both species of animals are referred to with the same gender.
| le zèbre l'oiseau m. le hibou le crapaud la girafe l'huître f. |
zebra bird owl toad giraffe oyster |