Transcript

The flower or the flower? The tooth or the tooth? The tiger or the tiger?

Today we are going to look at tips for identifying whether words are masculine or feminine. I think these tips will really help you if it is a big difficulty for you to recognize if words are masculine or feminine.

Hi everyone. Welcome to this new video. I hope you are in good shape.

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So today, we are going to talk about the feminine and the masculine. I know that this topic can be very complex for you, either because in your language, words that are feminine in French are for example masculine or the opposite, or worse for English speakers, because there is no masculine or feminine in your language.

Here, it becomes a real headache to remember in French before which words you have to put "le", before which words you have to put "la".

Fortunately, there are a few tricks to help you recognize them, including word endings. There are word endings that indicate whether the word is masculine or feminine, and that's what we're going to see together today.

Of course, as you know, with French, there are always, there are always exceptions. But if you keep these indications, because they are not really rules, but rather indications, in 80 % of the cases, you will be right.

And of course, don't stress if you make a few mistakes. If you confuse the masculine and feminine on some words, French speakers will understand you very well, even if it is never pleasant to make small mistakes.

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Let's go back to the masculine and feminine. As I was saying, it's mainly the endings of words that will tell you whether the words are masculine or feminine. Rather than memorizing whether words are feminine or masculine, I advise you to remember these endings.

It is much less complicated, it requires much less work. 80 % of time, it will be good, you won't go wrong.

Let's start with word endings.

First of all, there are the words in "ette". A fork, a trumpet, a toilet.

Of course, you know French, there are always exceptions. For example, here, an exception is a skeleton. But as I was telling you, 80 % of the time, words that end in "ette" will be feminine words.

By the way, feel free to comment if you know of any other exceptions.

Then there are the "ion" endings. For example a discussion, a mission, a demonstration, an action or a ban. There are also words in "ance - ence". Luck, power, vacation, experience, science or competence.

Here there is only one exception, and that is the word "silence". Silence.

Words ending in ade, ode and ude are usually feminine.

A salad. A tornado. A walk. A fashion. A method or a period, for the ending "ode".

And for the ending "ude", we have for example solitude, a habit or a certainty. Of course, as I said, there are always small exceptions.

This is for example the case of a stadium, a code or an episode, for example an episode of a TV series.

Tee. The words ending with "tee" are mostly feminine words. There is freedom, equality and fraternity. We also have health, half, society or friendship.

As usual, there are exceptions, this is especially the case with the side and summer. The season, the summer. Then there are the words that end with "lle".

So the endings in "ille", in "elle", in "aille", in "eille" or in "ouille".

We have the city, the girl, the bike seat, the mutual, the size, the size of the clothes, the battle, a frog, a wonder or a bottle, there are plenty.

Then we have the words in "ure" which are mostly feminine. URE.

The car, the temperature, the lock or the break. Then we have the words in "asse" and "esse", so asse, and esse which are mostly feminine.

The cup, the terrace, sadness, wisdom or tenderness.

"eur" for inanimate things. So, when we are not talking about, for example, someone's job, but rather when we are talking about an object or a concept. "eur", in most cases will be the ending of words that are feminine.

For example the flower, the fear, the heat or the color.

Of course, the list of endings I'm giving you is not exhaustive. And by the way, if you also know other endings that are typical for feminine or masculine words, don't hesitate to put them in comments to help the rest of the community.

It's always interesting to get new tips.

Let's move on to the typical endings of masculine words. As for the feminine words, these endings will give you the indication of the gender in 80 % of the cases.

Let's start with the words in "teur", teur.

Words that end in "teur" are mostly masculine. The fan, a vacuum cleaner, a fire extinguisher when there is a fire or a projector to watch movies.

Two exceptions that come to mind are height and slow. But like I said, most of the time, these are masculine words.

The "ment" endings.

An article of clothing, a form of address, a testament or a relief. Words ending in "ism" and "asm".

Racism, terrorism, enthusiasm or sarcasm, sarcasm is a joke.

Words that end in "phone". A telephone, a dictaphone, a microphone, a saxophone.

Words that end in "scope". A telescope, a microscope or a neuroscope. Words ending in "age".

A landing, a tattoo, an exhibition opening, a setting, a garage or a heating. A few exceptions come to mind on this indication, it is the beach, the picture and the page.

The "oir" words. A drawer, a mirror, a razor, a tank in a car, a dormitory or a urinal. Power.

Words that end with the letter "L". For example "al", "il", "el", "ol".

A flight. A sunflower. A tunnel, a court, a newspaper or a thread.

Words that end with the sound "ar".

There can be different spellings, for example just "ar" or "art", "ard", "ars", "arc".

A bar, a bus, a tank, a rampart when you have a wall or a shed.

One exception comes to mind, "a star". A movie star is someone very famous, well known.

And finally, one of the last hints I can give you for spotting masculine words. It's words that end with the "o" sound.

So again it can be written "au", "eau", "au", just an "o", "aud", "os" or even "aut".

A piece, a cake, a knife, a bicycle, scissors, a boat, a toad, an artichoke, a pen, a kilo or a cigarette butt.

Here, beware, there is one big exception. It is simply the word "water". Water that we drink, it's a feminine word.

That's it for today, I hope that these indications, these little tricks, will really help you to spot more easily if words are masculine or feminine.

I know that very often people say that you just have to learn by heart, but that's a lot, a lot to remember, whereas here you just have to remember the endings and it's a little bit easier.

Before leaving, don't forget to put a "like" to the video and especially to subscribe if you haven't done so yet.

See you soon.