How to find the gender of a French noun

How do you find the gender of a French noun?

Four nouns from the housing lesson

Which word gives the clue?

Sentence	Gender clue	Conclusion
Une petite table.	une / petite	Table is feminine.
Un petit lit.	un / petit	Lit is masculine.
Une pièce calme.	une	Calme has the same form in both genders.
L’appartement est grand.	grand	L’ hides the gender; grand reveals masculine agreement.

A noun’s gender belongs to the noun. A large table is still feminine: une grande table. A small bed is still masculine: un petit lit. Size and appearance help you picture the object; the article tells you its grammatical gender.

Some forms give you no answer

Hidden gender

Form	What it tells you	Try this instead
l’	The singular article is elided.	l’appartement → un appartement
les	The noun is plural.	les tables → une table
mes	There is more than one possessed item.	mes lits → un lit
calme	The same adjective form fits either gender.	une personne calme / un enfant calme

Use the noun’s singular form in the lesson vocabulary when the sentence gives no clear clue. In a correction exercise, check that entry first: a mistaken article in the exercise cannot settle the noun’s gender.

Why is it mon amie, not ma amie?

Mon amie est patiente.

My female friend is patient.

Before the vowel in feminine amie, use mon. The noun stays feminine.

Marc cherche sa table. Léa cherche son lit.

Marc is looking for his table. Léa is looking for her bed.

Sa follows feminine table; son follows masculine lit.

To identify an owner, read the context. Son lit can mean his bed or her bed. First find the possessed noun, then check its gender; keep the owner as a separate question.

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