Key points about making nouns plural in French
When there is more than one of something, it is More than one of an item..
To make a The name of a thing such as an object, a place or a person. Nouns are often described as naming words. plural in French, you usually add s.
Add x to All nouns in French are either masculine or feminine. nouns ending in -eau or -eu.
Nouns that already end in -x or -s don’t change when they become plural.
What are plural nouns?
If there is more than one of something, it is plural. 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
The -s and -x on the ends of plural words are usually silent.
You only pronounce them when the next word starts with a vowel.
How to make nouns plural by adding 's'
If there is more than one of a noun, you can make it plural by adding s.
For example:
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (a father) → Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (two fathers)
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (a sister) → Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (sisters)
Making nouns plural - Mini quiz
What is the plural of une maison (a house)?
Des maisons (houses)
How to make nouns plural by adding 'x'
If a masculine noun ends in -eau or -eu, add an x to make it plural.
For example:
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (a castle) → Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (two castles)
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (a game) → Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (games)
Did you know?
Most nouns ending in -al change to -aux when they become plural.
For example:
un journal, deux journaux – a newspaper, two newspapers
How to make plurals of nouns ending in '-s' or '-x'
Nouns that end in -s or -x don’t change when they are plural:
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (a country) → Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (two countries)
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (a choice) → Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. (choices)
Making nouns plural - Mini quiz
What is the plural of un repas (a meal)?
Des repas (meals)
Quiz - Making nouns plural in French
Practise what you've learned about making nouns plural with this quiz.
Video: French nouns and articles
Watch the video for further information on nouns and articles in French.
Nouns and articles or the basic building blocks of French.
In French, remember: every noun is either masculine or feminine.
Not only that…the noun's article always matches its gender. 'Le', 'la' mean 'the'. 'Un', 'une' mean 'a'. Le and un are masculine articles.
They can be used, for example, before the masculine noun: téléphone
'La' and 'une' are feminine. So is the noun: 'montre'.
But if the noun starts with a vowel or a silent h, 'le' and 'la' become l'. For example: 'l'horloge.'
When the noun is plural, do as in English and add an s.
But then the article changes too!
La voiture.
Les voitures.
And when you come across a noun that ends with lots of vowels in the plural, just add an x.
Des bijoux.
Now you’ve learned about making nouns plural, why not explore gender and number agreement in French?
More on Gender, nouns and articles
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