French grammar: le genre et le nombre des noms

What this grammar point covers

In French, nouns have gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This means every noun is either 'le' or 'la' (the), and changes form for one or more things.

When to use it

You use gender and number for every noun in French. Articles, adjectives, and sometimes verbs need to agree with the noun's gender and number.

Key forms

• Masculine singular: le livre
• Feminine singular: la table
• Masculine plural: les livres
• Feminine plural: les tables

Examples

Tips

• Always learn the gender (le or la) with each new noun.
• To make most nouns plural, add -s at the end.
• Some words have irregular plurals or genders—check the dictionary if unsure.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some nouns do not follow the usual gender rules (e.g., 'le problème' is masculine).
• Some plurals change differently (e.g., 'un animal' → 'des animaux').