Learn The Basics Of French Grammar: Mastering the basics of French Grammar doesn’t have to be difficult. By understanding the correct use of articles with plurals and gender, students can form French sentences easily. The French language has special spelling rules. In this article, we will simplify these things for the students so that they can learn the language easily without any difficulty.
What Is GENDER in the French Language?
In French, all nouns have a gender. They are either masculine or feminine. Students can check the table below to easily understand how to identify the gender in the French language:
| Type of Noun | Gender | Example (French) | Meaning (English) |
| Most nouns ending in -e | Feminine | la table | the table |
| Most other nouns | Masculine | le livre | the book |
Tip: There are exceptions, so it’s good to memorise the gender of a noun when you learn it.
French Artices: Definite and Indefinite
Articles are used before nouns. In French, they change as per the gender and number of the noun.
1. Definite Articles (The)
| Gender/Number | Article | Example | Meaning |
| Masculine | le | le stylo | the pen |
| Feminine | la | la chaise | the chair |
| Starts with vowel/h (any gender) | l’ | l’école | the school |
| Plural (any gender) | les | les livres | the books |
2. Indefinite Articles (A/An, Some)
| Gender/Number | Article | Example | Meaning |
| Masculine | un | un garçon | a boy |
| Feminine | une | une fille | a girl |
| Plural (any gender) | des | des amis | some friends |
Note: Articles must always match the noun’s gender and number!
How To Use Plurals In French?
Just like in english, you have to add -s to most nouns in French to make them plural. Students can check the table below for better clarity.
Basic Rules for Forming Plurals
Check here the basic rules for forming plurals in French
| Rule | Singular | Plural | Example Meaning |
| Add -s to regular nouns | le chat | les chats | the cat → the cats |
| Nouns ending in -eau, -eu, -au → +x | le bateau | les bateaux | the boat → the boats |
| Nouns ending in -al → change to -aux | l’animal | les animaux | the animal → the animals |
Tip: Even though we add ‘s’ or ‘x’, plural words are often not pronounced differently in speech, but they matter in writing!
Examples: Putting All Three Elements Together
| French | English | Why |
| Le chien court. | The dog runs. | ‘Le’ for masculine singular noun. |
| Une pomme rouge. | A red apple. | ‘Une’ for feminine singular noun. |
| Les enfants jouent. | The children play. | ‘Les’ for plural. |
| Des fleurs jolies. | Some pretty flowers. | ‘Des’ for plural feminine noun. |
Additional Basic French Articles and Determiners
Here are some additional basic French articles and determiners in the table below:
| Type | Singular Masculine | Singular Feminine | Plural (M & F) | Notes / Usage |
| Definite Articles | le (e.g. le livre) | la (e.g. la table) | les | Plural for both genders |
| Elided Definite | l’ (e.g. l’homme) | l’ (e.g. l’école) | — | Used before vowels/mute h |
| Indefinite | un (e.g. un stylo) | une (e.g. une chaise) | des | “a” or “some” |
| Negative Indefinite | de (e.g. Je n’ai pas de livre) | de (e.g. Je n’ai pas de chaise) | de | After negation (except être) or before adjective + noun |
| Partitive | du (e.g. du pain) | de la (e.g. de la confiture) | des (e.g. des fruits) | Means “some” with uncountables |
| Elided Partitive | de l’ (e.g. de l’eau) | Before vowels/mute h | ||
| Demonstrative | ce → cet (e.g. cet arbre) | cette (e.g. cette fleur) | ces | “this/that” |
| Possessive | mon, ton, son | ma, ta, sa (becomes mon/ton/son before vowel) | mes, tes, ses | Agree in gender/number with noun |
| Contraction with à | au (à + le) | — | aux (à + les) | “to the” |
| Contraction with de | du (de + le) | — | des (de + les) | “of/from the” |
Quick French Grammar Quiz: Gender, Articles, and Plurals
Choose the correct option for each question:
1. Before the word "école" (school), which article will you use?
a) le
b) la
c) l’
d) un
Answer: c) l’
2. Which article will be used for a stylo (pen)?
a) la
b) le
c) une
d) des
Correct Answer: b) le
3. Choose the correct indefinite article for “fille” (girl):
a) un
b) une
c) des
d) la
Correct Answer: b) une
4. Choose the correct option for the plural form of “le livre” (the book)?
a) la livres
b) les livre
c) les livres
d) des livre
Correct Answer: c) les livres
5. Which of the following changes to -aux in the plural form?
a) bateau
b) animal
c) stylo
d) chat
Correct Answer: b) animal → animaux
Other Related Links To Check
| Colours, Animals & Food Names in French with English Meaning |
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