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Plurals in French: A full guide on how to form le pluriel en français
How do we form plurals in French? Often it’s as simple as adding an -s , just like you do in English. Words with certain endings, however, have different rules for forming their French plurals. So which French plurals end in -x , and which ones remain unchanged ? What about pluralizing compound nouns in French?
Today we’ll cover all the different groups of French nouns to see their pluralization rules . We’ll also include any exceptions for each of the rules we see. We’ll provide several example words to demonstrate every one of the French pluralization rules, along with their English translations.
This post complements our other intermediate post on French gender rules , as well as our beginner post on the French articles . For now, let’s just dive into our post on forming the plural of French nouns.
Scroll down to the conclusion for a quick reference table of all the French pluralization rules . Read on for explanations of each one.
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Most French nouns: -s
This is clearly the easiest rule for French plurals, since it’s so close to the default rule for pluralizing English nouns. Just add an -s to make most French nouns plural.
- un croissant / des croissant s
- une baguette / des baguette s
- un sandwich / des sandwich s
- une limonade / des limonade s
We’re not even going to translate these French words for you, as they’re so close to their English counterparts! The important thing is to see le singulier of each one, compared with le pluriel . So what’s the most common French pluralization rule ?
- Pour la majorité des noms communs au singulier , nous ajoutons simplement -s pour les avoir au pluriel . – For the majority of regular nouns in singular , we simply add -s to have them in plural .
French nouns ending in -s, -x, -z: no change
This rule has parallels with certain English words that are unchanged between singular and plural, particularly where adding an additional pluralization would just sound comical. Think of English words like series, crossroads, headquarters, or species, which exhibit no change between their singular and plural forms .
- un cours / des cours – a course / some courses
- un pays / des pays – a country / some countries
- un prix / des prix – a price, a prize / some prices, some prizes
- un choix / des choix – a choice / some choices
- un nez / des nez – a nose / some noses
- un gaz / des gaz – a gas / some gasses
French nouns ending in -ou: -s
In general, we just add an -s to words that end in -ou, so the plural form becomes -ous.
- un bisou / des bisous – a little kiss / some little kisses
- un clou / des clou s – a nail / some nails
- un coup / des coup s – a hit / some hits
- un trou / des trou s – a hole / some holes
There are a handful of very common French nouns that are exceptions to this rule, so let’s see them all here. Rather than adding an -s to make these plurals in French, these exceptions end in -x instead.
- un bijou / des bijou x – a piece of jewelry / some pieces of jewelry
- un caillou / des caillou x – a stone / some stones
- un chou / des chou x – a cabbage / some cabbages
- un genou / des genou x – a knee / some knees
- un hibou / des hiboux – an owl / some owls
- un joujou / des joujou x – a children’s toy / some children’s toys
- un pou / des pou x – a lice / some lice
- un ripou / des ripou x – a rotten cop / dirty cops (slang)
French nouns ending in -eu, -œu, -au, -eau: -x
Just like we saw with the list of exceptions to the previous rule, adding -x to form French plurals is common for many French nouns that end in vowel sounds.
- un feu / des feu x – a fire / some fires
- un jeu / des jeu x – a game / some games
- un vœu / des vœu x – a wish / some wishes
- un tuyau / des tuyau x – a pipe / some pipes
- un chapeau / des chapeau x – a hat / some hats
- un cadeau / des cadeau x – a gift / some gifts
- un couteau / des couteau x – a knife / some knives
- un bateau / des bateau x – a boat / some boats
There are only three exceptions to this rule: bleu , pneu , and landau . These simply end in -s to become plural.
Un bleu can describe either a bruise or a blue thing , while when we’re talking about fromage , le bleu refers to a family of very flavorful cheeses. Les Bleus is the nickname for the French national team . Un landau is a type of baby stroller with coverings that can fold open or closed. Un pneu is just a tire .
- un bleu / des bleu s
- un pneu / des pneu s
- un landau / des landau s
French nouns ending in -al: -aux
For French nouns ending in -al, we have a variant on the -x ending, whereby we drop the -al and replace it with -aux . The resulting pronunciation of the plural ending for these nouns ends up resembling the pronunciation of the previous set of plurals we just saw.
- un chev al / des chev aux – a horse / some horses
- un journ al / des journ aux – a newspaper / some newspapers
- un hôpit al / des hôpit aux – a hospital / some hospitals
- un anim al / des anim aux – an animal / some animals
There are only a handful of exceptions to this rule, most of which are fairly common French nouns. Let’s see all of them here, where their plurals simply end in -s .
- un bal / des bal s – a formal dance event like a ball or a prom / the proms
- un carnaval / des carnaval s – a carnival / some carnivals
- un chacal / des chacal s – a jackal / some jackals
- un festival / des festival s – a festival / some festivals
- un récital / des récital s – a recital / some recitals
- un régal / des régal s – a delight / some delights
French nouns ending in -ail: -s
The pronunciation of French words ending in -ail is different enough from those ending in -al that the default rule for their plural forms is to just add an -s .
- un détail / des détail s – a detail / some details
- un chandail / des chandail s – a sweater / some sweaters
- un éventail / des éventail s – a folding fan / some folding fans
- un gouvernail / des gouvernail s – a rudder / some rudders
In reality, not many French nouns end in -ail, so it’s just as important to be aware of the exceptions to this general rule. These words resemble those from our previous rule, where we drop the -ail and replace it with -aux .
- un b ail / des b aux – a lease / some leases
- un cor ail / des cor aux – a coral / some corals
- un ém ail / des ém aux – an enamel / some enamels
- un soupir ail / des soupir aux – a basement window / some basement windows
- un trav ail / des trav aux – a job or a gig / some jobs
- un vant ail / des vant aux – a removable panel / some removable panels
- un vitr ail / des vitr aux – a stained-glass window / some stained-glass windows
Highly-irregular French plurals
So far, we’ve seen all the general rules for forming the plural of French nouns. Fortunately, only three words have such irregular plurals in French that we need to point them out individually. The first two are common enough that you should definitely know them.
The French word for an eye is un œil . But the plural of un œil is des yeux ! You probably already knew this one if you’ve studied the parts of the body in French .
The French word for the sky is le ciel . And if we’re talking about different skies , we’ll need un ciel in plural: des cieux .
Finally, we have an interesting French word to refer to our ancestors . In singular, un aïeul can refer to someone anywhere in our lineage. When we refer generally to our ancestors in plural, with forebears or forefathers as other possible translations, we use the irregular French plural of des aïeux . When we refer specifically to our grandparents , however, the plural is des aïeuls . What’s more, if we’re just talking about our grandmothers , we use the feminine form as des aïeules !
Un aïeul is a fairly deferential term we use for our elders, so don’t worry too much about mastering the intricacies of its use. But you should definitely memorize des yeux and des cieux as the French plurals for un œil and un ciel ! We’ll end this section with the list of highly-irregular French plurals.
- un œil / des yeux – eyes
- un ciel / des cieux – skies
- un aïeul / des aïeux – ancestors
- un aïeul / des aïeuls, des aïeules – grandparents
Plurals of French nouns borrowed from other languages
As a general rule, if a French noun is still clearly linked to its foreign origin, its plural form should follow its foreign pattern .
- un paparazzo / des paparazzi
- un curriculum vitæ / des curricula vitæ
- un minimum / des minima
On the other hand, it’s common enough for foreign words to be adopted into the French language and eventually follow the regular French pluralization rules we’ve seen above.
Plurals of French titles
We’re listing these words in their own section since they seem to play by their own rules. These titles are nonetheless very common words in the language, so it’s important to know their plural forms in French.
The reason for their irregular pluralization is that they were originally formed from two words: an adjective and a noun. They’re always written as a single word in contemporary French, but their plural forms still reflect the necessary change in form to the original adjectives and to the nouns. See our posts on French adjectives and on possessive adjectives for more detail on those forms.
Here the full list of titles with irregular plural forms in French.
- monsieur / messieurs – Sir
- madame / mesdames – Mrs
- mademoiselle / mesdemoiselles – miss
- gentilhomme / gentilshommes – gentleman
- bonhomme / bonshommes – fellow
Plurals of French compound nouns
Before we wrap up, we should mention the special case of compound nouns in French. These take many forms, and there are specific pluralization rules that apply to each type. We won’t go into all the excruciating details here, but we’ll at least point out the main concepts for pluralizing French compound nouns .
The big question is which individual words within the compound noun should become plural, and which keep their original form. The most important rule is that if the compound noun is composed of multiple nouns, we pluralize the individual nouns that indicate what’s in plural, while leaving other ones in singular if they don’t reflect what’s in plural.
- des portes-fenêtres – doors that are essentially big windows
- des pauses-café – coffee breaks
- des pommes de terre – potatoes
The same rule applies where the nouns are linked by prepositions.
- des œils-de-bœuf – round dormer windows (note that we don’t write yeux-de-bœuf!)
- des arcs-en-ciel – rainbows
- des eaux-de-vie – brandies, traditional spirits
If the compound noun’s individual words don’t necessarily reflect what is being described in plural, they all remain unchanged in plural.
- des tête-à-tête – face-to-face discussions
- des pied-à-terre – temporary or second homes
- des passe-partout – master keys, picture frame mattings
Where compound nouns include adjectives and nouns, the adjectives need to reflect the plural form. Where a compound noun includes an adverb, the adverb is always invariable. The same rules about the nouns that we saw in our previous examples still apply though!
- des coffres-forts – safes
- des sages-femmes – midwives
- des petits-beurre – butter cookies
For compound nouns that contain verbs and nouns, the verbs are unchanged while the nouns follow the same rules we’ve already seen.
- des chasse-neige – snowplows
- des tire-bouchons – corkscrews
Don’t worry if you’re unsure of the plurals of French compound nouns. Indeed, most native speakers get them wrong a lot too! If you follow the basic rules we’ve laid out here, you’ll be ahead of a lot of native French speakers!
Conclusion: Plurals in French
Today we went deep on one of the fundamentals of the language: how to make a word plural in French . We looked at the whole spectrum of French nouns, from the regular ones that simply take -s in plural , to nouns with various endings that need different combinations ending in -x .
For each of the standard French pluralization rules, we also saw all of their exceptions . We had a special section for the three highly-irregular French plurals : yeux , cieux , and aïeux vs aïeuls . We even went into the special cases of how to pluralize words of foreign origin , and how to make compound nouns plural in French.
If you’ve followed along here, you’re now ready to make any French noun plural! For easy reference, we recommend sharing or bookmarking this page for easy access. To sum things up for you, we’ll leave you with an easy table of all the main French pluralization rules we saw today!
| most French nouns | -s | – |
| -s, -x, -z | no change | – |
| -ou | -s | bijoux, cailloux, choux, genoux, hiboux, joujoux, poux, ripoux |
| -eu, -œu, au, -eau | -x | bleus, pneus, landaus |
| -al | -aux | bals, carnavals, chacals, festivals, récitals, régals |
| -ail | -s | baux, coraux, émaux, soupiraux, travaux, vantaux, vitraux |
| œil, ciel, aïeul | yeux, cieux | aïeux vs aïeuls vs aïeules |
| monsieur, madame, mademoiselle, gentilhomme, bonhomme | messieurs, mesdames, mesdemoiselles, gentilshommes, bonshommes |
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A List of English Singulars That Are French Plurals
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Nouns are not always singular in both French and English . Here is a list of words that are singular or uncountable, or have unmarked plurals in English but are plural or countable in French.
* These are usually but not always plural in French
** Data is the plural of datum but is commonly used as a singular noun in English
*** The plurals of these nouns are unmarked in English
**** These nouns are uncountable in English but countable in French
Adjectival Nouns in French
In addition, adjectives that are used as nouns when referring to a group of people do not have an s in English, though they do in French:
- Advice — Conseils
- Ammunition — Munitions
- Asparagus — Asperges
- Attic — Combles
- Audience — Spectateurs, auditeurs
- Baggage, luggage — Bagages
- Broccoli — Brocolis
- Business — Affaires
- To cause damage — Causer des dégâts
- Cereal — Céréales
- Chess — Échecs
- Clothing — Vêtements
- Contact information/name and address — Coordonnées
- Damage — Dommage(s), * dégâts
- Darkness — Ténèbres
- Data** — Données
- Debris — Débris
- Deer — Cerf(s), biche(s) ***
- Deposit — Arrhes
- To do research — Faire des recherches
- Engagement — Fiançailles
- Evidence — Preuve(s) ****
- To feel remorse — Éprouver des remords
- Fish — Poisson(s) ***
- Food — Vivres , victuailles
- Forecast — Prévisions
- Fruit — Fruit(s) ****
- Funeral — Funérailles, obsèques
- Furniture — Meubles
- Garbage, rubbish — Déchets, ordures
- Gift (for Christmas or New Year's ) — Étrennes
- Graffiti — Graffitis
- Hair — Cheveux
- Havoc — Ravages
- Hay — Foins *
- Herringbone — Chevrons
- Holiday(s) (British English) — Vacances
- Homework — Devoirs
- Income — Revenu(s), rente(s) *
- Information — Informations, renseignements
- Knowledge — Connaissances *
- Lovemaking — Ébats amoureux/sexuels
- Math (American English) — Maths
- Medicine — Médicaments
- Offal — Abats
- Pasta — Pâtes
- Period (to have one's period) — Règles (avoir ses règles)
- Progress — Progrès *
- Quicksand — Sables mouvants
- Rubble — Décombres
- Science — Sciences *
- Sheep — Mouton(s) ***
- Shrimp — Crevettes
- Software — Logiciel(s) ****
- Spaghetti — Spaghettis
- Spinach — Épinards
- Static — Parasites
- There's a good chance that… — Il y a de fortes chances que...
- Transportation — Transports
- Vacation — Vacances
- Vicinity — Environs
- Volcanic smoke and gas — Fumerolles *
- Wedding — Noces *
- The dead — Les morts
- The living — Les vivants
- The poor — Les pauvres
- The rich — Les riches
- The sick — Les malades
- The young — Les jeunes
Nouns That Are Singular in French, Plural in English
Nouns are not always singular in both French and English. Here is a list of words that are singular, uncountable, or invariable in French but are plural or countable in English.
* These are usually but not always singular in French ** Many French compound nouns are invariable, though their English equivalents are variable.
- News — L'actualité
- Oats — Avoine (fem)
- Scales — Une balance
- Drums — La batterie
- Boxer shorts — Un boxer-short
- Swimming trunks — Un caleçon de bain
- Tights — Collant(s) *
- Contents — Le contenu, la contenance
- Overalls, dungarees — Une cotte
- Dentures — Un dentier
- Epsom salts — Epsomite (fem)
- Stairs — Un escalier
- Fireworks — Un feu d'artifice
- Fruit — Un fruit (piece of)
- Skyscraper — Un gratte-ciel **
- Gums — La gencive
- Jeans — Un jean
- Sweat pants — Un jogging
- To do the dishes — Laver la vaisselle
- (Piece of) news — Une nouvelle
- (Loaf of) bread — Un pain
- Pants, trousers — Un pantalon
- Pliers — Pince(s) *
- Wire cutters — Une pince coupante
- Wire strippers — Une pince à dénuder
- Tweezers — Une pince à épiler
- Ice tongs — Une pince à glace
- Nail clippers — Une pince à ongles
- Coin purse, wallet — Un porte-monnaie **
- Pyjamas — Un pyjama
- Shorts — un short
- Underpants — Un slip
- Swimming trunks — Un slip de bain
- Bellows — Un soufflet
- Dishes, crockery (to do the dishes) — La vaisselle (faire la vaisselle)
Some French Nouns Can Only Be Singular
In both French and English, many nouns can be singular or plural: un homme (one man), deux hommes (two men), la chaise (the chair), les chaises (the chairs). But there are quite a few French nouns that can only be singular, sometimes because the noun has a different meaning in the plural. Here are some French nouns that can only be singular:
Abstract Nouns
- Le bonheur — Happiness
- La chaleur — Heat, warmth
- La charité — Charity, kindness
- Le chaud — Heat
- Le courage — Courage
- La faim — Hunger
- Le froid — Cold
- La haine — Hatred
- La malchance — Bad luck, misfortune
- La mélancolie — Melancholy, gloom
- La peur — Fear
- La soif — Thirst
- La tristesse — Sadness
- La vaillance — Courage, valor
Arts and Crafts
- Le cinéma — Cinema, movie industry
- La couture — Sewing
- La danse — Dancing
- Le dessin — Drawing
- La peinture — Painting
- La sculpture — Sculpting
- Le théâtre — Theater
- Le tissage — Weaving
- Le tricot — Knitting
- La droite — Right
- L'est (m) — East
- La gauche — Left
- Le nord — North
- L'ouest (m) — West
- Le sud — South
Materials and Matter
- Acier (m) — Steel
- Argent (m) — Silver
- Le bois — Wood
- Le coton — Cotton
- Le cuir — Leather
- Le cuivre — Copper
- Le fer — Iron
- Or (m) — Gold
- Le papier — Paper
- Le plastique — Plastic
- Le plâtre — Plaster
- La soie — Silk
- Le verre — Glass
- La biologie — Biology
- La botanique — Botany
- La chimie — Chemistry
- La géologie — Geology
- La linguistique — Linguistics
- La philosophie — Philosophy
- La physique — Physics
- La psychologie — Psychology
- La sociologie — Sociology
Some French Nouns Can Only Be Plural
In both French and English, many nouns can be singular or plural: un homme (one man), deux hommes (two men), la chaise (the chair), les chaises (the chairs). But there are quite a few French nouns that can only be plural, sometimes because the noun has a different meaning in the singular. Here are some French nouns that can only be plural:
- Les abats (m) — Offal, giblets
- Les acariens (m) — Dust mites
- Les affres (f) — Agony, throes
- Les agissements (m) — Schemes, intrigues
- Les agrès (m) — (Sports) apparatus
- Les alentours (m) — Neighborhood, surroundings
- Les annales (f) — Annals
- Les appointements (m) — Salary
- Les archives (f) — Archives
- Les armoiries (f) — Coat of arms
- Les arrérages (m) — Arrears
- Les arrhes (f) — Deposit
- Les auspices (m) — Auspices, patronage
- Les beaux-arts (m) — Fine arts
- Les beaux-enfants (m) — Children's spouses, in-laws / spouse's children, stepchildren
- Les beaux-parents (m) — Spouse's parents, in-laws / parents' spouses, stepparents
- Les bestiaux (m) — Livestock, cattle
- Les bonnes grâces (f) — Someone's favor, good graces
- Les brisants (m) — (Ocean) breakers
- Les brisées (f) — Someone's territory, footsteps
- Les catacombes (f) — Catacombs
- Les céréales (f) — Cereal
- Les cheveux (m) — Hair
- Les comestibles (m) — Fine foods
- Les communaux (m) — Common land
- Les condoléances (f) — Condolences
- Les confins (m) — Borders, fringes
- Les coordonnées (f) — Coordinates
- Les déboires (m) — Disappointments, setbacks, trials
- Les décombres (m) — Rubble, debris
- Les dépens (m) — Costs, expense
- Les doléances (f) — Complaints, grievances
- Les ébats (m) — Frolicking
- Les entrailles (f) — Entrails, guts
- Les environs (m) — Outskirts, surroundings
- Les épousailles (f) — Nuptials
- Les étrennes (f) — Fift (for Christmas or New Year's)
- Les façons (f) — Manners, behavior
- Les floralies (f) — Flower show
- Les fonts baptismaux (f) — Baptismal font
- Les fiançailles (f) — Engagement
- Les frais (m) — Expenses, charges
- Les frusques (f informal) — Clothes, togs, rags
- Les funerailles (f) — Funeral
- Les gens (m) — People
- Les grands-parents (m) — Grandparents
- Les honoraires (m) — Fees
- Les intempéries (f) — Bad weather
- Les latrines (f) — Latrine
- Les limbes (m) — Limbo
- Les lombes (m) — Loins
- Les mathématiques (f) — Math(s)
- Les mémoires (m) — Memoirs
- Les menottes (f) — Handcuffs
- Les mœurs (f) — Morals, customs
- Les munitions (f) — Ammunition
- Les obsèques (f) — Funeral
- Les ordures (f) — Trash, rubbish
- Les ouïes (f) — Gills
- Les pâtes (f) — Pasta, noodles
- Les pierreries (f) — Gems, precious stones
- Les pourparlers (m) — Negotiations, talks
- Les préparatifs (m) — Preparations
- Les proches (m) — Close relations, next of kin
- Les ravages (m) — Havoc, ravages
- Les représailles (f) — Retaliation, reprisals
- Les royalties (f) — Royalties
- Les scellés (m) — Seals (e.g., on a door)
- Les semailles (f) — Sowing, seeds
- Les sévices (m) — Physical cruelty, abuse
- Les ténèbres (f) — Darkness, gloom
- Les thermes (m) — Thermal baths
- Les toilettes (f) — Lavatory, restroom
- Les vacances (f) — Vacation, (UK) holiday
- Les vêpres (f) — Vespers
- Les victuailles (f) — Food, victuals
- Les vivres (m) — Food, supplies, provisions
Nouns Meanings May Depend on Number
Some French nouns can only be singular, some can only be plural, and some have different meanings depending on whether they are singular or plural.
- Abattis (m) — Brushwood
- Les abattis (m) — Giblets, (informal) arms and legs, limbs
- Assise (f) — Wall support, foundation
- Assises (f) — Assembly, conference
- Autorité (f) — Authority
- Les autorités (f) — The authorities
- Le barbe — Barb
- La barbe — Beard
- Les barbes (f) — Ragged edge
- Le bois — Wood (in general), woodwind instrument
- Les bois (m) — Woodwind section
- Le ciseau — Chisel
- Les ciseaux (m) — Scissors
- Le comble — Height, peak; last straw (figurative)
- Les combles (m) — Attic
- Le cuivre — Copper
- Les cuivres (m) — Copper instruments, tools
- La douceur — Softness, gentleness
- Les douceurs (f) — Sweets, desserts; sweet talk
- Eau (f) — Water (in general)
- Les eaux (f) — River/lake/sea water, wake
- Économie (f) — Economics
- Les économies (f) — Savings
- Écriture (f) — Writing, (finance) entry
- Les écritures (f) — Accounts, books
- La façon — Way, manner, means
- Le fer — Iron
- Les fers (m) — Chains, fetters
- Le guide — Guide (book, tour)
- La guide — Girl scout/guide
- Les guides (f) — Reins
- Humanité (f) — Humanity, mankind
- Les humanités (f) — Humanities, classics
- Le lendemain — The next day, the period right after
- Les lendemains (m) — Future, prospects, consequences
- La lunette — Telescope
- Les lunettes (f) — Glasses, spectacles
- La mémoire — Memory
- Le mémoire — Memorandum, report
- Les mémoires (m) — Memoirs
- La menotte — (babytalk) Hand
- Les menottes (f) — Handcuffs
- Ouïe (f) — (sense of) Hearing
- Les ouïes (f) — Gills
- Le papier — Paper
- Les papiers (m) — Documentation
- La pâte — Pastry, dough
- Les pâtes (f) — Pasta, noodles
- Le ravage — (Literary) pillaging
- Les ravages (m) — Havoc, ravages
- Le status — Status
- Les status (m) — Statutes
- La toilette — Toilette, hygiene, act of getting ready
- Les toilettes (f) — Lavatory, restroom
- La vacance — Vacancy
- Les vacances (f) — Vacation, holiday
Arts and Crafts Nouns
When talking about arts and crafts, a singular noun indicates the activity itself, while both the singular and plural refer to the product.
- Le cinéma — Cinema, movie industry
- Le(s) cinéma(s) — Cinema(s), movie theater(s)
- La couture — Sewing
- La (les) couture(s) — Seam(s)
- La danse — Dancing
- La (les) danse(s) — Dance(s)
- Le dessin — The act of drawing
- Le(s) dessin(s) — Drawing(s)
- La peinture — The act of painting
- La (les) peinture(s) — Painting(s)
- La sculpture — The act of sculpting
- La (les) sculpture(s) — Sculpture(s)
- Le théâtre — Theater arts
- Le(s) théâtre(s) — Theaters(s)
- Le tricot — The act of knitting
- Le(s) tricot(s) — Sweater(s), jumper(s)
Nouns Referring to Languages
Languages are always singular (and always, au fait , masculine). When the name of a language is capitalized, both the singular and plural indicate people of that nationality.
- Anglais (m) — English language
- Un Anglais, des Anglais — An Englishman, English people
- Arabe (m) — Arabic language
- Un Arabe, des Arabes — An Arab, Arabs
- Le français — French language
- Un Français, des Français — A Frenchman, French people
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Your Complete Guide to The French Plural
Grammatically, French is all over the place.
Words have genders , you have to really make an effort to master pronominal verbs and the grammar is chock-full of exceptions.
Whether you’re working to improve your listening or prepare for a Francophone trip , you have to keep that complex French grammar in the back of your mind.
In this post, you’ll learn how to form the French plural as well as some exceptions to the rules, such as irregular forms and words that only exist in the plural.
The Basics: Forming the Plural
Just add “s” to the noun (and change the article), how to pronounce that “s”, when things already end in “s” (or “x”), forming the plural in irregular cases, nouns and adjectives ending in “-al”, nouns and adjectives ending in “-eau,” “-au” and “-eu”, nouns ending in “-ail”, french words that only exist in the plural, french nouns that change meaning in the plural form, how to practice the french plural.
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Generally, the plural of French nouns and adjectives is formed by simply adding an “s” at the end. Just like in English! The definite articles le , la and l’ (the) become les (the) in the plural. The indefinite articles un and une (a) become des (some) in the plural.
Let’s take a look at some examples with French nouns:
| (the pen) | (the pens) |
| (the table) | (the tables) |
Now let’s take a look at some examples in which French nouns are being modified by adjectives :
| (the red pen) | rouge (the red pens) |
| (the round table) | ronde (the round tables) |
One more thing : An “s” must be added to both the noun and the adjective. Agreement: a fact of French life.
Spelling , and therefore pronunciation (and therefore reading aloud), can be tricky in French. For the most part, the little “s” we add at the end of nouns and adjectives is not pronounced , as is often the case with final consonants. There are, however, some exceptions in which it is pronounced.
When you see a plural adjective followed by a noun beginning with a vowel, the final “s” of the adjective is pronounced like a “z.”
- les grand s éléphants (the big elephants)
- les jeune s athlètes (the young athletes)
When you come across a plural noun followed by a plural adjective that begins with a vowel, you can pronounce the noun’s final “s” as though it were a “z.”
- les chien s agiles (the agile/graceful dogs).
I know what you’re thinking. What about words that already end in “s”? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
When you come across a word that ends in “s,” its plural form is the same as its singular form. How’s that for a good deal?
The adjective gros (fat, big, large) is a case in point:
| (the big truck) | (the big trucks) |
One more thing: The definite article le still becomes les. Also, don’t forget the “s” at the end of camion !
The same deal applies when dealing with a French noun or adjective ending in “x.”
| (the voice) | (the voices) |
| (the jealous man) | jaloux (the jealous men) |
One more thing: In terms of pronunciation, the “x” and “s” endings function in the same way.
You probably saw it coming: There are many cases in which just adding an “s” to nouns and adjectives is not enough to form the plural. Sometimes, you’ve got to do a bit more. Luckily, there are some general rules that apply, depending on the endings of the nouns and adjectives.
When there’s a masculine singular noun or adjective ending in “-al,” its plural form usually ends in “-aux.”
| (a newspaper) | ([some] newspapers) |
| (international) | (international) |
| (an international newspaper) | internation (international newspapers) |
One more thing: It’s important to note that this only applies to masculine cases. To use the feminine form of an adjective ending in “-al,” the change is regular and an “e” is added in the case of the singular, as in une revue international e (an international magazine). For the plural we add an “s” to the noun and the adjective to get des revues international es ([some] international magazines).
Exceptions: There are some notable exceptions whereby masculine singular nouns and adjectives ending in “-al” become plural by “regular” means, which is to say, we simply add an “s” to the ending.
- The plural of bal (ball, as in “masquerade ball,” dance) is bal s (balls, dances).
- The plural of festival (festival) is festival s (festivals).
- The plural of banal (banal, ordinary) is banal s .
- The plural of fatal (fatal, deadly) is fatal s .
- The plural of final (final) is final s *
*Occasionally, you will see fin aux (final) used, particularly in economic and financial contexts.
One more thing: The masculine noun mal (ache), when used in mal de tête (headache) becomes maux de tête (headaches) in the plural.
The plural of singular nouns and adjectives ending in “-eau,” “-au” and “-eu” is most often formed by adding an “x” to the ending.
| (the castle, the château) | (the castles, the châteaus) |
| (the tray, the platter) | (the trays, the platters) |
| (the bucket) | (the buckets) |
| (the game) | (the games) |
Exceptions: There are cases when we simply add an “s” to form the plural.
- In the case of the adjective bleu (blue), it becomes bleus (blue) in the plural.
- The masculine singular noun pneu (a tire) becomes pneus (tires) in the plural.
Nouns that end in “-ail” in the singular generally end in “-ails” in the plural, but there are certain cases in which their endings are “-aux” in the plural.
| (work, job) | (works, jobs) |
| (stained glass window) | (stained glass windows) |
| (lease) | (leases) |
There are several nouns in French that only exist in the plural. They just can’t be alone! Here’s a list of some exclusively plural nouns that you’re bound to come across. It’s important to note that each of these nouns still has a gender that you should know for the sake of agreement.
| giblets | |
| neighborhood, surroundings | |
| fine arts | |
| condolences | |
| coordinates, contact information | |
| rubble | |
| engagement | |
| expenses, charges | |
| funeral | |
| people | |
| fees | |
| math | |
| handcuffs | |
| morals, customs | |
| funeral | |
| trash | |
| reprisals, retaliation | |
| darkness, gloom |
Some French nouns are just plain fickle! Their meanings change depending on whether they’re singular or plural. Here’s a list of some of the most common ones.
| a chisel | a pair of scissors | ||
| a height, a peak or the (figurative) last straw | an attic | ||
| softness or sweetness (both literal and figurative) | desserts or sweet talk | ||
| water in general (water in a swimming pool, drinking water, etc.) | the water of bodies of water: river/lake/sea water | ||
| humanity | the humanities (the field of academic inquiry) | ||
| the next day | consequences, or future prospects of something or someone | ||
| | the faculty or act of memory a master's thesis | memoirs | |
| the (sense of) hearing | gills (like those of a fish) | ||
| dough (as in pizza dough) | pasta | ||
| a status (a social status, for example) | statutes (which are documented legal enactments) | ||
| the overall process of getting ready (showering, brushing one's teeth, combing one's hair) or personal hygiene | the restroom | ||
| a vacancy | vacation |
- Read. This may seem like a no-brainer because books, magazines and newspapers are chock-full of plural nouns and adjectives. The key, though, is reading actively . One thing you can do is, each time you come across the plural form of a word, convert it to the singular form and vice versa. If you’re in the mood to cozy up with a grammar book, I recommend “The Everything French Grammar Book: All the Rules You Need to Master Français” by Laura K. Lawless.
This language learning program immerses you in the French language with authentic videos like movie trailers and inspiring talks. All of the videos come with interactive subtitles, meaning you’ll not only be able to compare the speech to the subtitles, but also click on them for extra information. Plus, you can use FluentU’s contextual video dictionary to search for specific terms and see the plural form used in context.
- Transcribe and transform. Dictées (dictations) are another great way to get cozy with French plural nouns and adjectives. A simple yet effective activity is to transcribe a short piece of audio from a podcast and then transform it with the plural. Make sure to pay attention to pronouns and agreement!
- Quiz yourself. Flashcards , oldies but goodies, are a great way to get used to plural nouns and adjectives. Check out these flashcards and this quiz for starters.
So get cozy and get to it!
The more time spent, the more mots (words) in your head.
Before you know it, your plural game will be on point.
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Dictionnaires de langue en ligne
| '; audChoice = audChoice.replace(/ selected=["']selected["']/gm, '');var audT = document.getElementById('audT');if ((audT) && (audPref)) { //Parse the content if(audPref.indexOf(':') > -1) { var audPrefAccent = audPref.split(':')[0]; var playbackRate = audPref.split(':')[1]; } else { var audPrefAccent = audPref; var playbackRate = 1; } var re = new RegExp('( UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈhəʊmwɜː k/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(hōm wûrk′) | | | | | | WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2024:
WordReference English- French Dictionary © 2024:
Discussions du forum dont le titre comprend le(s) mot(s) "homework" :
Dans d'autres langues : espagnol | italien | portugais | roumain | allemand | néerlandais | suédois | russe | polonais | tchèque | grec | turc | chinois | japonais | coréen | arabe
Plural – Free ExerciseComplete the gaps with the plural form of the nouns.
Complete the gaps with the plural form of the nouns. Remember – not all nouns follow the regular plural rules.
How good is your French? Find out with Lingolia’s free grammar test Take the test! Maybe later  Plural NounsNoms plurielsWhile most nouns, in both French and English, can be singular or plural, some can only be one or the other – and dozens of these don’t "match up" in the two languages. The nouns on this page are plural in French but singular in English. Grammar note The French nouns are plural in every respect: they require the third-person plural ( ils / elles ) form of the verb, plural adjective agreement, etc. Par exemple …
Plural French nouns
1. These nouns have unmarked plurals, meaning the same word is used for both singular (the deer is) and plural (the deer are). 2. These are usually plural in French, but are occasionally used in the singular (lesson coming soon). 3. In fact, "data" is plural ("datum" is the singular noun), but many English speakers use it as if it’s singular. 4. For Christmas or New Year’s . 5. These nouns are countable in French (take an "s" for plural) but uncountable (always singular) in English. Related lessons
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Most French nouns: -s. This is clearly the easiest rule for French plurals, since it's so close to the default rule for pluralizing English nouns. Just add an -s to make most French nouns plural. un croissant / des croissant s. une baguette / des baguette s. un sandwich / des sandwich s. une limonade / des limonade s.
Both the singular and plural could translate homework. The choice would depend on the context. If you were referring to the sum of the exercises you were given in all your subjects, or if you were given more than one exercise in a particular subject, then the plural is appropriate. ... [French teacher] For homework, I want you to do exercise 4 ...
HOMEWORK translate: devoirs [masculine, plural], devoirs (à la maison). Learn more in the Cambridge English-French Dictionary.
Example: un genou - des genou x. a knee - knees. nouns that end in - al. The ending - al becomes - aux in the plural. The exceptions to this are: le bal, le cal, le carnaval, le chacal, le festival, le régal. dance, callus, carnival, jackal, festival, treat. , whose plurals are formed by adding an -s. Examples:
French Translation of "HOMEWORK" | The official Collins English-French Dictionary online. Over 100,000 French translations of English words and phrases.
But there are quite a few French nouns that can only be plural, sometimes because the noun has a different meaning in the singular. Here are some French nouns that can only be plural: Les abats (m) — Offal, giblets. Les acariens (m) — Dust mites. Les affres (f) — Agony, throes. Les agissements (m) — Schemes, intrigues.
Just add "s" to the noun (and change the article) Generally, the plural of French nouns and adjectives is formed by simply adding an "s" at the end. Just like in English! The definite articles le , la and l' (the) become les (the) in the plural. The indefinite articles un and une (a) become des (some) in the plural.
Anglais. Français. do homework vtr + n. (do after-hours schoolwork) faire ses devoirs loc v. The children have to do homework before they can go out to play. Les enfants doivent faire leurs devoirs avant de pouvoir aller jouer dehors. do your homework v expr.
Complete the gaps with the plural form of the nouns. Remember - not all nouns follow the regular plural rules. le prix → nouns that end in -s, -x or -z in the singular don't take an additional ending in the plural prizes; le mois → nouns that end in -s, -x or -z in the singular don't take an additional ending in the plural months; l'œil → for some nouns, the word stem changes in ...
1. These nouns have unmarked plurals, meaning the same word is used for both singular (the deer is) and plural (the deer are). 2. These are usually plural in French, but are occasionally used in the singular (lesson coming soon). 3. In fact, "data" is plural ("datum" is the singular noun), but many English speakers use it as if it's singular. 4.
General rule : adding an -s. Most French nouns are made plural by adding an -s to the singular : une maison (a house) des maisons (houses) une fille (a girl) des filles ( girls) le garçon (the boy) les garçons (the boys) un arbre (a tree) des arbres (trees) The pronunciation of this -s is actually easy because we don't pronounce it, the ...
Plural. To form the plural in French most nouns simply add an extra " s " {a friend = un ami, friends = des ami s } Nouns ending in -eu, -eau and -au usually form the plural by adding an exta " x ", {the cake = le gât eau, cakes = les gât eaux } Nouns ending in -al usually form the plural with -aux: {animal = un anim al, animals = des ...
In English and French, the most common way to make a noun plural is to add s to the end of the noun. Masculine nouns in French that end in -eau and -eu can be made plural by adding x. Remember ...
It is singular. My homework is singular. It names. the collective tasks I have to do. Bienvenido mr_Croft! Note: Some dictionaries describe this noun as "uncountable". There are many threads here about uncountable nouns. You may find them by using the forum Search feature, or by looking up the word "uncountable" in the WordReference English ...
DEVOIRS translate: homework. Learn more in the Cambridge French-English Dictionary.
Oct 5, 2007. #3. As far as I know homework is an uncountable noun and has no plural. I'm doing / I'm going to do my homework. M.
Intro: Welcome to the French Made Easy podcast, where I give you all the basics you need to speak French clearly and confidently. I'm your host, Mathilde, and I'm a French teacher, mumpreneur, and bread and cheese lover. Join me as I dive into all things French for beginners, and deliver to you bite-sized and easy-to-follow lessons every Tuesday.
Le singulier et le pluriel / Singular and Plural : French plural are more complex than English plurals. Most singular words have their plural ending in s but there are exceptions and particularities to certain words that will be observed in this lesson. In French, an s is added to nouns to form the plural. F example:
School Vocabulary in French: Homework is an important word to know if you are talking about school in French. The word for 'homework' is almost always used in the plural form. It is also a masculine noun. Answer and Explanation: Become a Study.com member to unlock this answer! Create your account ...
Find the gender of. French nouns. Knowing if a noun is masculine or feminine is important in French. This will help you know if you should use `le` or `la`, `au` or `à la`, `un` or `une`, etc. means female, wife, woman (EN) and is.
Some mass nouns are also accepted as count nouns. "Artwork" can be used as a mass noun, like "air" or "water", but the word also means "a piece of art", so you can say "an artwork" or "many artworks". In my experience, "homework" isn't a legit count noun though. "Many homeworks" sounds wrong to me. I don't think there is a systematic rule, this ...
What's the French word for homework? Here's a list of translations. French Translation. devoirs. More French words for homework. le devoir à la maison noun. housework. le devoir de la maison noun.
Nouns and pronouns. A noun can be replaced by a pronoun to avoid repetition. All French pronouns must match the noun's gender and number just as subjects and verbs agree in English and French.. Paul Cézanne est né à Aix-en-Provence le 19 janvier. = Paul Cézanne was born in Aix-en-Provence on January 19.; Il est connu pour peindre les paysages. = He is known for painting landscapes.
The noun homework can be countable or uncountable. In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be homework . However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be homeworks e.g. in reference to various types of homeworks or a collection of homeworks. Find more words!