Speed Up Your French: Strategies to avoid common errors (2016)
Chapter 1. Gender and number
Number
The plural of nouns
In spoken French, there is often no audible distinction between the singular and plural forms of a noun. It is usually only the determiner (the article or the demonstrative or possessive adjective, etc.) that serves as a plural marker in the spoken language.
However, in written French, many nouns do carry a plural marker, and you must take care to remember this.
1 Regular plurals
The plural of most nouns is formed by adding -s to the singular form. This applies to both masculine and feminine nouns, for example:
un enfant |
des enfants |
(child / children) |
un regard |
des regards |
(look / looks) |
une loi |
des lois |
(law / laws) |
une maison |
des maisons |
(house / houses) |
2 Nouns ending in -s, -x, -z
There is no change in the plural, for example:
un cas |
des cas |
(case / cases) |
une voix |
des voix |
(voice / voices) |
un nez |
des nez |
(nose / noses) |
3 Nouns ending in -au, -eau, -eu, -œu
The plural is formed by adding -x, for example:
un tuyau |
des tuyaux |
(pipe / pipes) |
un bateau |
des bateaux |
(boat / boats) |
un cheveu |
des cheveux |
(hair / hairs) |
un vœu |
des vœux |
(wish / wishes) |
Exceptions in -s:
un bleu |
des bleus |
(bruise / bruises) |
un pneu |
des pneus |
(tyre / tyres) |
4 Nouns ending in -ou
In most cases, the plural is formed by adding -s, for example:
un trou |
des trous |
(hole / holes) |
un voyou |
des voyous |
(yob / yobs) |
However, there are seven exceptions that form the plural with -x. These are:
un bijou |
des bijoux |
(jewel / jewels) |
un caillou |
des cailloux |
(pebble / pebbles) |
un chou |
des choux |
(cabbage / cabbages) |
un genou |
des genoux |
(knee / knees) |
un hibou |
des hiboux |
(owl / owls) |
un joujou |
des joujoux |
(toy / toys) |
un pou |
des poux |
(louse / lice) |
5 Nouns ending in -al
Most nouns ending in -al change to -aux in the plural, for example:
un cheval |
des chevaux |
(horse / horses) |
un idéal |
des idéaux |
(ideal / ideals) |
le mal |
les maux |
(evil / evils; ache / aches) |
Exceptions in -s:
un bal |
des bals |
(dance / dances) |
un carnaval |
des carnavals |
(carnival / carnivals) |
un festival |
des festivals |
(festival / festivals) |
un récital |
des récitals |
(recital / recitals) |
un régal |
des régals |
(culinary or other delight / delights) |
6 Nouns ending in -ail
Most nouns form the plural in the regular way by adding -s, for example:
un détail |
des détails |
(detail / details) |
Exceptions in -aux:
un bail |
des baux |
(lease / leases) |
un corail |
des coraux |
(coral / corals) |
un émail |
des émaux |
(enamel / enamels) |
un travail |
des travaux |
(work / works) |
un vitrail |
des vitraux |
(stained glass window / windows) |
7 Nouns with irregular plurals
The most common are:
un ciel |
des cieux |
(sky / skies, heavens) |
un œil |
des yeux |
(eye / eyes) |
Monsieur |
Messieurs |
|
Madame |
Mesdames |
|
Mademoiselle |
Mesdemoiselles |
The regular form, les ciels, is used for ‘skies’ in climates and in paintings, e.g. les ciels d’Afrique, les ciels de Constable.
Note also the following irregularities in the spoken language.
The final consonant of un os (a bone), un bœuf (a bullock), un œuf (an egg) is pronounced in the singular, but the ending of the plural forms, des os, des bœufs, des œufs, is completely silent.
8 Nouns that have only a plural form in French include the following:
les abats (m.) |
offal; giblets |
les affres (f.) |
agonies; pangs (of hunger) |
les alentours (m.) |
surrounding area |
les annales (f.) |
annals |
les archives (f.) |
archives |
les arrhes (f.) |
deposit (e.g. on a flat) |
les bestiaux (m.) |
livestock |
les ciseaux (m.) |
scissors |
les condoléances (f.) |
condolences |
les entrailles (f.) |
entrails |
les environs (m.) |
surroundings |
les félicitations (f.) |
congratulations |
les fiançailles (f.) |
engagement |
les frais (m.) |
expenses |
les fringues (f.) (colloquial) |
clothes |
les funérailles (f.) |
funeral |
les gens (m. normally) |
people |
les graffiti (m. invariable) |
graffiti |
les honoraires (m.) |
fees |
les intempéries (f.) |
bad weather |
les mœurs (f.) |
customs |
les pourparlers (m.) |
talks |
les obsèques (f.) |
funeral |
les spaghetti (m. invariable) |
spaghetti |
les ténèbres (f.) |
darkness |
les vêpres (f.) |
vespers |
les victuailles (f.) |
victuals |
les vivres (m.) |
food, supplies |
The corresponding noun in English is sometimes singular, e.g. verser des arrhes (to put down a deposit).
The plural of compound nouns
The rules for the formation of the plural are quite complex, but it helps to divide the nouns into categories as follows.
1 In adjective + noun (or noun + adjective) compounds, both elements become plural.
une belle-fille |
des belles-filles |
un cerf-volant |
des cerfs-volants |
2 In noun + noun compounds, the usual pattern is for both nouns to become plural.
un camion-citerne |
des camions-citernes |
une pause-café |
des pauses-cafés |
Exceptions with only one noun becoming plural
une auto-école |
des auto-écoles |
(a driving school / driving schools) |
un hôtel-Dieu |
des hôtels-Dieu |
(a main hospital / main hospitals) |
un timbre-poste |
des timbres-poste |
(a postage stamp / postage stamps) |
3 In noun + prepositional phrase compounds, only the first noun becomes plural.
un arc-en-ciel |
des arcs-en-ciel |
un chef-d’œuvre |
des chefs-d’œuvre |
Exceptions with no change in the plural
un tête-à-queue |
des tête-à-queue |
un tête-à-tête |
des tête-à-tête |
4 In adverb, preposition or prefix + noun compounds, the noun alone becomes plural.
un demi-tarif |
des demi-tarifs |
une ex-femme |
des ex-femmes |
Exception with no change in the plural
un / une sans-travail |
des sans-travail |
5 In verb + noun compounds, the golden rule is not to add a plural -s on the verb. For the noun, there are two general patterns, though in practice there is so much fluctuation that the only safe way of proceeding is to consult a good dictionary.
a. The compound remains invariable whether the singular form contains a noun in the singular or the plural.
un gratte-ciel |
des gratte-ciel |
un essuie-mains |
des essuie-mains |
un pare-brise |
des pare-brise |
b. The noun becomes plural.
un tire-bouchon |
des tire-bouchons |
un couvre-lit |
des couvre-lits |
There are a few cases where, despite the golden rule given above, there is an -s on the verbal element of the compound and not on the noun. However, in these cases the verbal element is no longer related to any existing verbal form, as the following examples show. The third-person singular present tense indicative form of the verbs in question would be appuie and soutient.
un appui-tête |
des appuis-tête |
(headrests) |
un soutien-gorge |
des soutiens-gorge |
(bras) |
6 Verbal phrase compounds are usually invariable in the plural.
un on-dit |
des on-dit |
un faire-part |
des faire-part |
Exercises
EXERCISE 5. Write the plural of the following nouns.
1 |
le chapeau |
_____________ |
2 |
le mois |
_____________ |
3 |
le travail |
_____________ |
4 |
le pneu |
_____________ |
5 |
un chou |
_____________ |
6 |
un mal de tête |
_____________ |
7 |
un œil |
_____________ |
8 |
Monsieur |
_____________ |
9 |
un bal |
_____________ |
10 |
un bail |
_____________ |
11 |
un vœu |
_____________ |
12 |
un trou |
_____________ |
13 |
un ciel de Turner |
_____________ |
14 |
un cheval |
_____________ |
15 |
un cheveu |
_____________ |
EXERCISE 6. Indicate the gender of the following compound nouns (un / une) and then write their plural forms.
1 |
___ timbre-poste |
des _____________ |
2 |
___ pause-café |
des _____________ |
3 |
___ chef-d’œuvre |
des _____________ |
4 |
___ tête-à-tête |
des _____________ |
5 |
___ demi-heure |
des _____________ |
6 |
___ pare-brise |
des _____________ |
7 |
___ soutien-gorge |
des _____________ |
8 |
___ tire-bouchon |
des _____________ |
9 |
___ faire-part |
des _____________ |
10 |
___ grand-parent |
des _____________ |
Differences between French and English in the treatment of the plural
1 Some nouns that are singular in English are plural in French and vice versa. The following examples are a common source of difficulty for English speakers.
English singular |
French plural |
applause |
les applaudissements (m.) |
holiday, vacation |
les vacances (f.) |
hair |
les cheveux (m.) |
information (m.) |
les informations (f.), les renseignements |
knowledge |
les connaissances (f.) |
news (on radio, TV) |
les informations (f.) |
to make progress |
faire des progrès (m.) |
to do research / my research |
faire des recherches (f.) / mes recherches |
Note that un cheveu is a single strand of hair and un renseignement or une information is a single item of information or news.
English plural |
French singular |
economics |
l’économie (f.) |
grapes |
du raisin |
linguistics |
la linguistique |
physics |
la physique |
pyjamas |
un pyjama |
shorts |
un short |
stairs |
un escalier |
tights |
un collant |
trousers |
un pantalon |
underpants |
un slip |
Note that a single grape in French is un grain de raisin.
Remember that the singular form is used in French for a single pair of pyjamas, shorts, tights or trousers. If you used the plural, it would mean several pairs, e.g.
Je dois m’acheter des pantalons d’été.
(I must buy some pairs of summer trousers.)
2 When referring to a family, the plural article is used, but the name itself does not change. Avoid the common mistake of adding a plural -s as we would do in English.
Nous avons invité les Dupont à dîner samedi.
(We have invited the Duponts to dinner on Saturday.)
3 Collective nouns referring to groups of people or things are singular in form. Common examples include the following:
l’assistance (f.) |
audience |
le comité |
committee |
le conseil |
council |
l’équipe (f.) |
team |
la foule |
crowd |
le gouvernement (m.) |
government |
le peuple (m.) |
people |
la police |
police |
Such nouns take a singular verb in French. Note the contrast to English where the verb can be singular or plural.
Le gouvernement ne sait pas quelle politique adopter.
(The government does not / do not know what policy to adopt.)
Le comité va se réunir demain.
(The committee is / are going to meet tomorrow.)
4 If the collective noun is followed by de + a plural noun, the verb can be either singular or plural, but is more usually plural.
Un groupe d’étudiants faisait / faisaient la queue devant le bâtiment d’administration.
(A group of students was / were queuing outside the administration building.)
5 The collective phrase, tout le monde (everyone / everybody), must always be followed by a singular verb in French, as in English.
Tout le monde le sait.
(Everyone knows.)
Exercises
EXERCISE 7. Choose between the singular and plural alternatives given in brackets to complete the following sentences.
1 Il a fait (du progrès / des progrès) en (linguistique / linguistiques) cette année.
2 Elle fait (de la recherche / des recherches) sur le cancer.
3 Prenez (du raisin / des raisins) pour manger avec le fromage.
4 Nous allons partir en (vacance / vacances) demain.
5 L’enfant a déchiré (son pantalon / ses pantalons) en tombant dans (l’escalier / les escaliers).
6 Elle possède (une connaissance approfondie / des connaissances approfondies) en (physique / physiques).
7 Il a quitté la salle sous un tonnerre d’(applaudissement / applaudissements).
8 Les (Pléchot / Pléchots) habitent la maison d’en face.
9 La police (arrive / arrivent). Tout le monde (est / sont) au courant.
10 Nous regardons (l’information / les informations) de 20 heures à la télévision.
The agreement of adjectives: common problems
Adjectives must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun or pronoun that they qualify. Many of these agreements, particularly the plural forms, are inaudible in the spoken language, but you must take care to make them when writing French.
1 The first step is to check the gender of the noun, hence the importance of the first part of this chapter! The next step, if you are unsure, is to revise the formation of the feminine and the plural of adjectives in one of the reference grammars listed in the Bibliography. There is space to mention only one important irregularity here.
The masculine plural of tout is tous. The feminine plural, toutes, is regular.
2 Watch out for examples where the adjective does not stand immediately next to the noun, but is separated from it by a verb, such as être or devenir, and remember to make the necessary agreement, for example:
Tous les musées sont fermés.
(All the museums are closed.)
La concurrence est devenue acharnée.
(The competition has become cut-throat.)
3 When an adjective qualifies two or more nouns of different genders, the adjective is masculine plural, e.g.
un père et une mère indulgents (an indulgent father and mother)
4 With expressions of the type, l’un des jardins les plus célèbres du monde (one of the most famous gardens in the world), the adjective describes all the gardens, not just the particular one in question, and so it is plural.
5 When a noun is accompanied by a phrase, de + noun, and further qualified by an adjective, the adjective agrees with the noun that it actually qualifies, which is not necessarily the noun immediately next to it. In the following example, it agrees with the masculine noun, point.
Du point (m.) de vue (f.) médical, il n’y a pas de problème
(From a medical point of view, there is no problem.)
6 If an adjective appears at the beginning of the clause, remember to think ahead and make it agree with the noun that it qualifies, for example:
Haute de 112 mètres, la flèche de la cathédrale d’Amiens domine la ligne des toits.
(At 112 metres high, the spire of Amiens cathedral dominates the skyline.)
7 Take particular care with the word, même. If it is used as an adjective, meaning ‘same’ or ‘very’, it agrees with the noun, but if it is used as an adverb, meaning ‘even’, it is invariable.
Cette étudiante a fait les mêmes erreurs que son frère.
(This student made the same mistakes as her brother.)
Ce sont les termes mêmes que j’ai employés.
(Those are the very / exact words that I used.)
Même les Français font parfois des erreurs d’accord.
(Even the French sometimes make agreement mistakes.)
8 Finally, remember that all adverbs are invariable, so never put a plural -s on beaucoup or ensemble.
Ils sont partis tous ensemble.
(They all left together.)
Exercises
EXERCISE 8. Make the words shown in brackets agree as and when necessary.
1 Les vacances (scolaire) me semblent trop (long).
2 (Tout) les places de stationnement sont déjà (occupé).
3 Ce sont les lieux (même) de l’accident.
4 (Même) si elle a des goûts (douteux), elle sait ce qu’elle veut.
5 Les renseignements (fourni) dans la brochure sont (inexact).
6 (Tout) les gens (interviewé) sont du (même) avis.
7 Ce musée est sans (aucun) doute l’un des plus (important) du monde.
8 (Seul), elle ne viendra jamais à bout de cette tâche.
9 Cet enfant souffre de maux de tête (continuel). Son frère et sa sœur (aîné), par contre, sont en (plein) forme.
10 Les garçons et les filles jouent (ensemble) dans la cour.
EXERCISE 9. Fill in the blanks, paying particular attention to the gender and number of nouns, to the agreement of verbs with their subject (singular / plural), and to any necessary adjective agreements.
Sandrine vient d’être nommée (1) _________ (language teaching assistant) à l’université d’Aberdeen. En ce moment elle fait (2) _______________ (some research) sur Internet pour trouver (3) _______________ (information) sur la ville et sur (4) _____________ (the region). Elle sait déjà que (5) ________________ (the surrounding area) de la ville (6) __________ (is) très (7) _________________ (picturesque) et que la ville elle-même est (8) __________ (a centre) de (9) ____________________ (the oil industry). Ce qu’elle ne savait pas, cependant, c’est que (10) _____________ (accommodation) coûte très cher. Il est évident qu’(11) ____________ (a studio flat) près (12) _______________ (to the town centre) sera au-dessus de ses moyens. Il lui faudra donc partager (13) ___________________ (a flat) avec d’autres étudiants et (14) ______________ (the choice) est déjà très (15) ___________ (limited), à (16) _____________ (this stage). Pour résoudre (17) ____________ (the problem), elle décide de partir tout de suite en Écosse. On lui a déjà payé (18) _____________ (an advance) sur (19) _____________ (her salary), pour qu’elle puisse (20) ________________ (put down a deposit) sur une chambre.