French Compound Nouns - Pluralization - Les noms composés au pluriel
How to make French compound nouns plural
Compound nouns:
Gender | Plurals
French compound nouns are made up of two or more words often
connected by hyphens. Making them plural can be a little tricky, but there are
some guidelines that can help.
When making compound nouns plural, two rules generally apply:
- Nouns, adjectives, and past participles become plural
- Verbs, prepositions, and adverbs are invariable
Here are the most common combinations of words in French compound nouns and the general rules for their pluralization. Please note that these are just guidelines and that there are exceptions. Le Bon Usage has an excellent in-depth discussion of compound noun plurals.
| Noun + noun | ||
| The two nouns are equal | Both are plural | |
| un oiseau-mouche | des oiseaux-mouches | |
| un chou-fleur | des choux-fleurs | |
| One noun modifies the other (often with a preposition) | Modifier is invariable | |
| un aide de camp | des aides de camp | |
| un arc-en-ciel | des arcs-en-ciel | |
| un chef-d'oeuvre | des chefs-d'oeuvre | |
| un soutien-gorge | des soutiens-gorge | |
| Noun + adjective | Both are plural | |
| un coffre-fort | des coffres-forts | |
| un pied plat | des pieds plats | |
| Adjective + noun | Both are plural | |
| un grand-père | des grands-pères | |
| une belle-fille | des belles-filles | |
| Adjective + adjective | Both are plural | |
| une douce-amère | des douces-amères | |
| un sourd-muet | des sourds-muets | |
| Adverb + noun | Adverb is invariable | |
| une arrière-cour | des arrière-cours | |
| un haut-parleur | des haut-parleurs | |
| Adverb + past participle | Adverb is invariable | |
| un nouveau-né | des nouveau-nés | |
| un bien-aimé | des bien-aimés | |
| Preposition + noun | Preposition is invariable | |
| une contre-offensive | des contre-offensives | |
| un en-tête | des en-têtes | |
| un après-midi | des après-midis | |
| Verb + noun | ||
| Concrete/countable noun | Verb is invariable | |
| un brise-glace (ice breaker) | des brise-glaces | |
| un couvre-lit | des couvre-lits | |
| Abstract/collective noun | Invariable | |
| un porte-monnaie | des porte-monnaie | |
| un gratte-ciel | des gratte-ciel | |
| Verb + verb | Invariable | |
| un laissez-passer | des laissez-passer | |
| un va-et-vient | des va-et-vient | |
| French Plurals Gender of compound nouns |
| The free, twice-weekly About French newsletter keeps you informed about changes
to this site, including new lessons, articles, and forum discussions. Subscribe today!
|
