French Nouns With Two Genders

Noms Avec Deux Genres

The gender of French nouns tends to be a sticky grammar point for students, especially when it does not exist in their mother tongue. Although getting the gender right is very important, most of the time the wrong gender will not hinder your ability to understand or to communicate in French, because most words have a single gender.

For example, un bureau (desk) is masculine and une chaise (chair) is feminine. Saying "une bureau" or "un chaise" is incorrect, but still understandable. Other words have two different forms for masculine and feminine versions ( un avocat/une avocate, un acteur/une actrice) or a single form that refers to a man or a woman depending on which article is used ( un touriste/une touriste, un artiste/une artiste).

However, there are a number of French nouns which are identical in pronunciation (and often spelling as well) but which have different meanings depending on whether they are masculine or feminine. Probably a good idea to memorize this list.

Aide

un aide - male assistant

une aide - help, assistance, female assistant

Air/Aire

un air - air, look, aria

une aire - area, zone, eyrie

Aller/Allée

un aller - one-way trip

une allée - avenue, path, aisle

Auteur/Hauteur

un auteur - author

une hauteur - height

Bal/Balle

le bal - dance

la balle - ball (sports)

Bar/Barre

le bar - bar/pub, bass (fish)

la barre - bar/rod, barre, helm

Barbe/Barbes

le barbe - barb

la barbe - beard

les barbes (f) - ragged edge

Barde

le barde - bard (poet)

la barde - bard (armor for a horse, fat wrapped around meat)

Basilic/Basilique

le basilic - basil, basilisk

la basilique - basilica

Basque

le basque - Basque language

la basque - tails (of a jacket)

Boum

le boum - bang, explosion, (fam) success

la boum - (inf) party

Bout/Boue

le bout - tip, end

la boue - mud

Bugle

le bugle - bugle

la bugle - bugleweed

But/Butte

le but - aim, goal, purpose

la butte - hillock, mound

Cache

le cache - card/mask (for hiding s.t.)

la cache - cache, hiding place

Capital/Capitale

le capital - capital, money

la capitale - capital city, capital letter

Carpe

le carpe - carpus

la carpe - carp

Cartouche

le cartouche - (archeology) cartouche

la cartouche - cartridge, carton

Casse

le casse - break-in, robber

la casse - breaking, damage, breakages

Cave

le cave - (familiar) idiot, sucker

la cave - basement, cellar

Central/Centrale

le central - center court, (telephone) exchange

la centrale - station, plant, group

Cerf/Serre

le cerf - stag

la serre - greenhouse

Champagne

le champagne - champagne

la Champagne - Champagne region

Chêne/Chaîne

le chêne - oak tree/wood

la chaîne - chain, channel, stereo

Chèvre

le chèvre - goat cheese

la chèvre - goat

Chine

le chine - china, rice paper

la chine - second-hand / used trade

la Chine - China

Chose

le chose - thingie, contraption

la chose - thing

Claque

le claque - opera hat, (familiar) brothel

la claque - slap

Coche

le coche - stagecoach

la coche - check mark, tick (on a form)

Col/Colle

le col - collar, neck

la colle - glue

Coq/Coque

le coq - rooster

la coque - hull, fuselage, cockle

Cours/Court/Cour

le cours - class

le court - (tennis) court

la cour - courtyard, court of law

Crème

le crème - coffee with cream

la crème - cream

Crêpe

le crêpe - crepe material

la crêpe - thin pancake

Cric/Crique

le cric - jack

la crique - creek, inlet

Critique

le critique - male critic

la critique - criticism, review, female critic

Diesel

le diesel - diesel fuel

la diesel - diesel automobile

Enseigne

un enseigne - ensign (rank)

une enseigne - sign, ensign (flag, banner)

Espace

un espace - space, room

une espace - printing space

une Espace - car model from Renault

Fait/Faîte/Fête

le fait - fact

le faîte - summit, rooftop

la fête - party

Faune

le faune - faun

la faune - fauna

Faux

le faux - fake, forgery, falsehood

la faux - scythe

Fil/File

le fil - thread, yarn, string

la file - line, queue

Finale

le finale - finale (music)

la finale - final (sports)

Foie/Foi/Fois

le foie - liver

la foi - faith

une fois - once, one time

Foret/Forêt

le foret - drill bit

la forêt - forest

Foudre

le foudre - (ironic) leader, large cask

la foudre - lightning

Garde

le garde - guard, warden, keeper

la garde - guard duty, custody, private nurse

Gène/Gêne

le gène - gene

la gêne - trouble, bother, embarrassment

Geste

le geste - gesture

la geste - gest, epic poem

Gîte

le gîte - shelter, cottage; bottom round (meat)

la gîte - list, inclination of a ship

Greffe

le greffe - court clerk's office

la greffe - transplant, graft

Guide/Guides

le guide - guide (book, tour)

la guide - girl scout/guide

les guides (f) - reins

Icone/Icône

un icone - icon (computer)

une icône - icon (art, celebrity)

Interligne

un interligne - space (typography)

une interligne - lead (typography)

Jars/Jarre

le jars - gander

la jarre - jar

Kermès/Kermesse

le kermès - scale insect, kermes (tree)

la kermesse - fair, bazaar, charity party

Krach/Craque

le krach - stock market crash

la craque - (familiar) whopping lie

Lac/Laque

le lac - lake

la laque - lacquer, shellac, hairspray

Légume

le légume - vegetable

la grosse légume (informal) - big shot

Lieu/Lieue

le lieu - place

la lieue - league

Livre

le livre - book

la livre - pound (currency and weight)

Maire/Mer/Mère

le maire - mayor

la mer - sea

la mère - mother

Mal/Mâle/Malle

le mal - evil

le mâle - male

la malle - trunk

Manche

le manche - handle

la manche - sleeve

la Manche - English Channel

Manœuvre

le manœuvre - laborer

la manœuvre - maneuver, operation

Manille

le manille - Manila cigar, Manila hat

la manille - (card game) manille; Manille shackle

Manque

le manque - lack, shortage, fault

à la manque - (familiar) crummy, second-rate

Mari

le mari - husband

la mari - marijuana (apocope of la marijuana)

Marie - feminine name

Martyr/Martyre

le martyr - male martyr

le martyre - martyrdom, agony

la martyre - female martyr

Marue/Mors

le Maure - Moor

le mors - bit (horse-riding)

Mort

le mort - dead body

la mort - death

Mauve

le mauve - mauve

la mauve - mallow plant

Mec/Mecque

le mec (informal) - guy, bloke

la Mecque - Mecca

Mégot

le mégot - cigarette butt

la mégot - cigarette

Mémoire

le mémoire - memo, report, memoirs

la mémoire - memory

Merci

le merci - thanks

la merci - mercy

Mi/Mie

le mi - mi (musical note E)

la mie - soft part of bread

Mi-Temps

le mi-temps  - (work) part-time

la mi-temps - (sports) half, half-time

Micro-Onde

le micro-onde - microwave oven

la micro-onde - microwave (electromagnetic radiation)

Mite/Mythe

le mite - moth

la mythe - myth

Mode

le mode - method, way, mood

la mode - fashion

Moral/Morale

le moral - morale

la morale - moral (of a story), morals

Mou/Moue

le mou - softness

la moue - pout

Moule

le moule - mold

la moule - mussel

Mousse

le mousse - ship's boy (apprentice)

la mousse - moss, froth, foam, mousse

Mur/Mûre

le mur - wall

la mûre - blackberry

Nocturne

le nocturne - night hunter (bird), nocturn (religion), nocturne (music, art)

la nocturne - late night store opening, sports match, meeting

œuvre

un œuvre - body of work

une œuvre - piece of work, task

Office

un office - office, bureau

une office - pantry

Ombre

un ombre - grayling (fish)

une ombre - shade, shadow

Orange

orange (m) - orange (color)

une orange - orange (fruit)

Page

le page - page boy

la page - page (of a book)

Pair/Père/Paire

le pair - peer

le père - father

la paire - pair

Pâques/Pâque

Pâques (m) - Easter

la pâque - Passover

les Pâques (f) - Easter

Parallèle

le parallèle - parallel (figurative)

la parallèle - parallel line

Pendule

le pendule - pendulum

la pendule - clock

Personne

personne (m) - (negative pronoun) no one

la personne - person

Pet/Paie/Paix

le pet - (familiar) fart

la paie - pay

la paix - peace

Physique

le physique - physique, face

la physique - physics

Plastique

le plastique - plastic

la plastique - modeling arts, body shape

Platine

le platine - platinum

la platine - turntable, deck, strip of metal

Poche

le poche - paperback book

la poche - pocket, pouch

Poêle

le poêle - stove

la poêle - frying pan

Poids/Pois/Poix

le poids - weight

le pois - pea, dot

la poix - pitch, tar

Poignet/Poignée

le poignet - wrist, (shirt) cuff

la poignée - handful, fistful; handle

Poison

le poison - poison, (informal) unpleasant man or boy

la poison - (informal) unpleasant woman or girl

Politique

le politique - politician

la politique - politics, policy

Ponte

le ponte - (informal) big shot

la ponte - laying eggs, clutch of eggs

Poste

le poste - job, post, tv/radio set

la poste - post office, mail/post

Pot/Peau

le pot - jar, pot, tin, can

la peau - skin

Pub

le pub - pub/bar

la pub - ad (apocope of publicité)

Pupille

le pupille - male ward

la pupille - pupil (eye), female ward

Rade

le rade (slang) - bar, bistro

la rade - harbor

Radio

le radio - radio operator

la radio - radio, X ray

Rai/Raie

le rai - spoke (wheel)

la raie - line, furrow, scratch (fish) skate, ray

Réclame

le réclame - (falconry) the cry to recall the bird

la réclame - publicity; en réclame - on sale

Relâche

le relâche - rest, respite, break**

la relâche - rest, respite, break**, port of call
**For these meanings, relâche can be masculine or feminine.

Renne/Reine/Rêne

le renne - reindeer

la reine - queen

la rêne - rein

Rêve/Rave

le rêve - dream

la rave - rave party (but not rave meaning "turnip," which is pronounced differently)

Rose

le rose - pink (color)

la rose - rose (flower)

Roux/Roue

le roux - red, redhead, roux (soup base)

la roue - wheel

Secrétaire

le secrétaire - male secretary, writing desk, secretary

la secrétaire - female secretary

Sel/Selle

le sel - salt

la selle - saddle

Soi/Soie

le soi - self, id

la soie - silk

Sol/Sole

le sol - ground, floor, soil

la sole - sole (fish)

Solde

le solde - balance (account), sale

la solde - pay

Somme

le somme - snooze, nap

la somme - sum, amount

Souris

le souris - smile (archaic)

la souris - mouse

Tic/Tique

le tic - tic, twitch

la tique - tick

Tour

le tour - tour, turn, trick

la tour - tower, rook (chess)

Tout/Toux

le tout - whole

la toux - cough

Trompette

le trompette - trumpeter

la trompette - trumpet

Vague

le vague - vagueness

la vague - wave

Vapeur

le vapeur - steamer

la vapeur - steam, haze, vapor

Vase

le vase - vase

la vase - silt, mud

Vigile

le vigile - night watchman

la vigile - vigil

Visa

le visa - visa (to enter a country)

la visa - Visa (credit card)

Voile

le voile - veil

la voile - sail

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Team, ThoughtCo. "French Nouns With Two Genders." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/french-nouns-with-two-genders-1371193. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). French Nouns With Two Genders. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-nouns-with-two-genders-1371193 Team, ThoughtCo. "French Nouns With Two Genders." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-nouns-with-two-genders-1371193 (accessed March 19, 2024).