French nouns and articlesNouns and articles - gender and word endings

There are some rules that help work out the gender.

Masculine nouns often end in:

• -eau, eg le château – castle
• -isme, eg le racisme – racism
• -ment, eg le médicament – medicine

Feminine nouns often end in:

• -ade, eg la promenade – walk
• -ode, eg la mode – fashion
• -ude, eg l’habitude – habit
• -ance, eg la confiance – confidence
• -ence, eg la licence – degree
• -ette, eg la vedette – film star
• -sion, eg la télévision – television
• -tion, eg la natation – swimming
• -ure, eg la nourriture – food