0Noun:
In French, all Nouns have to classified into Masculine and Feminine Gender.
Some nouns are obviously Masculine or Feminine. Eg: Boy is masculine and girl is feminine.
But in other cases we have to learn the noun with knowledge of its gender.
For example, "book" which is "livre" in French is masculine while "chair" which is "chaise" in French is feminine.
Though there are some indicators in certain cases to determine the gender in most case we have to learn the gender when we are learning a noun.
For example, it can be said that all countries in French which end in 'e' are feminine.
Eg: Inde = India,
France = France,
Allemagne = Germany,
Chine = China. However, there are exceptions like Méxique, Mozambique, Zaire, Zimbabwé end in 'e' and are Masculine.
- When you learn the meaning of a noun in French, let’s say 'book' we have to learn it ideally with the 'Definite Article'. Eg: le livre.
So we know that 'book' in French is a Masculine Singular Noun.
- Some nouns have a gender, either masculine or feminine which is obvious. Eg: 'the boy' = 'le garçon'. This is obviously 'the girl’ = 'la fille’ is obviously feminine.
- For nouns beginning with a 'vowel' or 'h' it is better to learn the noun with the indefinite Article 'a' or 'an' which is 'un' for masculine and 'une' for feminine.
Eg: un arbre = a tree. So 'tree' in French is masculine.
Une image = a picture. So 'picture' in French is feminine.
(The Definite Article in both the above cases is 'l’. So we cannot determine the gender of the noun just by the definite article 'l’arbre' = the 'the tree' and 'L’image' = 'the picture’).
- For some uncountable nouns beginning with a vowel in French. Eg: 'eau' ( Feminine) = 'water' we have to make note of the 'gender' when we learn it with the Definite Article. Eg: 'l ’eau'.
As we usually do not use the indefinite Article 'un' or 'une’ with such uncountable nouns.
'l’eau’ = 'Water’ and is feminine.
'l’encre’ = Ink and is feminine.
