{"id":80,"date":"2024-02-21T17:24:36","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T22:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/frenchoer1\/?post_type=chapter&p=80"},"modified":"2024-02-21T17:24:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T22:24:39","slug":"1-15-structure-noms-et-adjectifs","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/frenchoer1\/chapter\/1-15-structure-noms-et-adjectifs\/","title":{"raw":"1.15: Structure - Noms et Adjectifs","rendered":"1.15: Structure – Noms et Adjectifs"},"content":{"raw":"

In this section, you will learn about gender and number agreement with nouns and adjectives.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n

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Media Alternative<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n

Listen to the audio clips that follow on this page to hear the French pronunciation of vocabulary and examples presented.<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n

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On \u00e9tudie !<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
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Le genre et le nombre<\/h3>\r\n\r\n
[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sCnw-vePoaY[\/embed]<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n
Gender & Number<\/caption>\r\n
Genre<\/th>\r\n singulier<\/th>\r\n pluriel<\/th>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n
masculin<\/th>\r\n \u2014<\/td>\r\n \r\n

-s
\r\n -x (-eaux, -aux, -eux)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n <\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n

f\u00e9minin<\/th>\r\n -e<\/strong><\/td>\r\n -es<\/strong><\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n <\/thead>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n

Most French nouns ending in -e <\/strong>are feminine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

To form the plural, add an -s<\/strong> to nouns, except for words ending in -(e)au<\/strong> that will take an -x<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Les noms et les adjectifs<\/h3>\r\n\r\n

1. A noun (nom<\/strong>) is typically defined as a person, place, thing or concept. More importantly, it is defined by its relationship to other words around it. So, for example, any word that follows the word the, a(n) or some is a noun: the people, the mystery, the tree, the anguish, a car, an idea, some ideas, some books. A subject noun is when a noun is the subject of a verb. For example: \"The dog\" eats; \"The phone\" rings. (See verbs and subjects below).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

(a) All French nouns are either masculine or feminine. These are grammatical genders, not biological or social ones. Thus, un chemisier <\/strong>(a woman's blouse) is masculine and une cravate<\/strong> (a tie) is feminine; la lune<\/strong> (the moon) is feminine, but le soleil<\/strong> (the sun) is masculine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

When a noun refers specifically to a human being, then the person's gender does come into play. For example: l'homme<\/strong> (the man) vs. la femme<\/strong> (the woman), l'ami <\/strong>(the male friend) vs. l'amie<\/strong> (the female friend); le chanteur<\/strong> (the male singer) vs. la chanteuse<\/strong> (the female singer).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

(b) You can usually form a plural noun by adding an -s<\/strong>:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

objet => objets<\/strong> table => tables<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

In cases where the noun ends in -eau<\/strong>, you add -x<\/strong>. For most endings in -al<\/strong>, you drop the -al<\/strong> and add - aux<\/strong>:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

bureau => bureaux<\/strong> animal => animaux<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Adjectives (adjectifs<\/strong>) modify how we understand nouns with which they are associated. Notice how our understanding of the noun maison<\/strong> (house) changes when we keep adding adjectives to it:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

maison (house)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

la<\/strong> maison (the<\/strong> house) = not a house, but the house<\/p>\r\n\r\n

la grande<\/strong> maison (the big<\/strong> house) = not the small one, the big one<\/p>\r\n\r\n

la grande<\/strong> maison bleue <\/strong>(the big, blue<\/strong> house) = the big and blue one, etc.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

(a) In French, most adjectives agree in gender (masculine vs. feminine) and number (singular vs. plural) with the nouns they describe. This is called accord en genre et nombre<\/strong> (gender and number agreement). Notice the differences between the adjectives used in the following sentences (adjectives are underlined):<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Marc et beau et intelligent. (Marc is handsome and intelligent.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Fabienne est belle et intelligente. (Fabienne is beautiful and intelligent.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Marc et Fabiennes son beaux et intelligents. (Marc and Fabienne are beautiful and intelligent.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Le livre est grand. (The book is big.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

La maison est grande. (The house is big.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Les maisons sont grandes. (The houses are big.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Most adjectives form the feminine by adding a silent -e<\/strong> (no accent) to the end of the masculine form. Adding a silent -s<\/strong> to the end of masculine and feminine forms gives you the plural forms of both. Here is the example of amusant<\/strong> (funny, amusing, entertaining):<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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