Our Day 22
Immersion – 22
Singulier- Pluriel des noms
(Singular – Plural of nouns)
• In French the nouns are almost preceded by articles.
• When a noun is in plural form the article preceeding the noun also should be in plural form.
To make a singular noun plural
1. Simply add ‘s’ to most of them.
Example:
| Singular | Pronunciation & Meaning | Plural | Pronunciation & Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| la maison | (lah meh-zohN) = house | les maisons | (ley meh-zohN) = houses |
| la valise | (lah vah-leez) = suitcase | les valises | (ley vah-leez) = suitcases |
| la chaise | (lah shez) = chair | les chaises | (ley shez) = chairs |
| le stylo | (luh stee-loh) = pen | les stylos | (ley stee-loh) = pens |
2. If a noun ends in –ou, --eu or –eau add ‘x’ instead of ‘s’ to make it plural.
Example:
| Singular | Pronunciation & Meaning | Plural | Pronunciation & Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| le bureau | (luh bew-roh) = office, desk | les bureaux | (ley bew-roh) = Offices, desks |
| le château | (luh sah-toh) = castle | les châteaux | (ley sha-toh) = castles |
| le neveu | (luh nuh-voh) = nephew | les neveux | (ley nuh-voh) = nephews |
| le bateau | (luh bah-toh) = boat | les bateaux | (ley bah-toh) = boats |
| l’eau | (loh) = water | les eaux | (lez oh) = water |
| le chou | (luh shooh) = cabbage | les choux | (ley shoh) = cabbages |
| le jeu | (luh zhuh) = game | les jeux | (ley zhuh) = games |
| le genou | (luh zha-nooh) = knee | les genoux | (zhah nooh) = knees |
| le chapeau | (luh shah-poh) = hat | les chapeaux | (ley sha-poh) = hats |
| le manteau | (luh mahN-toh) = coat | les manteaux | (ley mahN-toh) = coats |
| le joujou | (luh zhooh zhooh) = toy | les joujoux | (ley zhooh-zhooh) = toys |
| l’hibou (m) | ( lee-booh) = owl | les boux | (ley booh) = owls |
3.If a noun already ends in – s, --z or –x don’t add anything to it to make the noun plural. In these cases the article (and the context) makes clear that the noun is plural.
Example:
| Singular | Pronunciation & Meaning | Plural | Pronunciation & Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| un fils | (uhN fees) = son | des fils | (dey fees) = sons |
| un nez | (uhN ney) = nose | des nez | (dey ney) = noses |
| un époux | (uhN-ney-pooh) = spouse | des époux | (dey-sey-pooh) = spouses |
| un autobus | (uh-noh-toh-bews) = bus | des autobus | (dey oh-toh-bews) = buses |
| un gaz | (uhN gaz) = gas | des gaz | (dey gaz) = gases |
| un bijoux | (uhN bee-zhooh) = jewel | des bijoux | (dey bee-zhooh) = jewels |
| une souris | (ewn sooh-ree) = mouse | des souris | (dey sooh-ree) = mice |
| un mois | (uhN mwah) = month | des mois | (dey mwah) = months |
| une fois | (ewn fwah) = time | des fois | (dey fwah) = times |
| une voix | (ewn vwah) = voice | des voix | (dey vwah) = voices |
| un choix | (ewn shwah) = choice | des choix | (dey shwah) = choices |
4. By changing the ending – ‘al’ to ‘aux’
Example:
| Singular | Pronunciation & Meaning | Plural | Pronunciation & Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| le journal | (luh-zhoor-nahl) = news paper, journal | les journaux | (ley zhoor-noh) = news papers, journals |
| l’ animal(m) | (lah-nee-mahl) = animal | les animaux | (lezah-nee-moh) = animals |
| le cheval | (luh shu-vahl) = horse | les chevaux | (ley shu-voh) = horses |
| le signal | (luh see-ni-lahl) = signal | les signaux | (ley see-noh) = signals |
| le-cathédral | (luh katheedraahl) = cathedral | les cathédraux | (ley katheed-roh) = cathedrals |
Note: Pronunciation of ‘gn’ is ‘ni’.
5.The most irregular form
Example:
| Singular | Pronunciation & Meaning | Plural | Pronunciation & Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| l’ oeil | (loh- a-ee) = eye | les yeux | (ley-sewh ) = eyes |
6. Nouns which can only be plural in French
- les céréales (f) = cereal
- les cheveux (m) (ley-shu-vuh) = hair
- les beaux-arts (m) (ley boh-zarh) = fine arts
- les gens (m) (ley zhahn) = people
- les latrines (f) = latrine
- les pâtes (ley paht) = pasta, noodles
- les grands-parents = grand parents
- les mathématiques(f) (ley mathey-mah-teek) = maths
- les mémoires (m) = memories
- les vacances (f) = vacation, holidays
- les vivres (m) = food, provisions
- les honoraires (m) = fees
- les proches = close relations, next of kin
Exercise 1
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| le livre | les livres |
| l’arbre | les arbres |
| le stylo | les stylos |
| le crayon | les crayons |
| la pomme | les pommes |
| un parc | des parcs |
| la gomme | les gommes |
| le sac | les sacs |
| le garÇon | les garÇons |
| du pain | des pains |
| le chapeau | les chapeaux |
| le habit | les habits |
| la robe | les robes |
| le jardin | les jardins |
| la piscine | les piscines |
| la fille | les filles |
| l’ oreille (loh-rehy) | les oreilles (ley-zoh-rehy) |
| la fourchette | les fourchettes |
| la police | les polices |
| la porte | les portes |
| la rue | les rues |
| l’homme | les hommes |
| un pot | des pots |
| un avion | des avions |
| le couteau | les couteaux |
| le fils | les fils |
| un mois | des mois |
| un choix | des choix |
| la chaise | les chaises |
Exercise 2
Give the plural of the given nouns
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| l’ étudiante (f) = student | |
| la soupe = soup | <|
| le parfum = perfume | |
| la voiture = car | |
| le poulet = chicken | |
| le jouet = toy | |
| la poupée = doll | |
| la vache = cow | |
| l’ ordinateur = computer | |
| la clinique = clinic | |
| la banane = banana | |
| la ville = city | |
| le village = village | |
| la mer = sea shore | |
| la plage = beach | |
| la campagne = country side | |
| le magasin = big shop | |
| la boutique = small shop | |
| la boulangerie = bakery | |
| la chambre = room | |
| l’université = university | |
| le chien = dog | |
| la danse = dance | |
| la télévision = television | |
| le cinéma = cenema | |
| l’ ananas = pineapple | |
| le bras = arm | |
| le chapeau = hat | |
| le château = castle | |
| le cou = neck | |
| le chou = cabbage |
