Masculine Noun Endings: -ment, -age, -isme, -eau
These suffixes are strong indicators of masculine gender
Category: Gendered Nouns
The Rule
Nouns ending in -ment, -age, -isme, -eau, -oir, -et are typically masculine.
Why This Matters
Just as certain endings predict feminine gender, other endings reliably predict masculine. The -ment ending (le gouvernement, le moment) and -age ending (le voyage, le message) are among the most common. English speakers can leverage the many cognates shared between the two languages.
Examples
• Le gouvernement a décidé. — "The government has decided." [-ment ending → masculine] • Le voyage était long. — "The trip was long." [-age ending → masculine] • Le capitalisme est un système économique. — "Capitalism is an economic system." [-isme ending → masculine] • Le château est magnifique. — "The castle is magnificent." [-eau ending → masculine]
Common Mistakes
❌ La moment est parfait. ✅ Le moment est parfait. → -ment endings are masculine. Use le, not la. ❌ La fromage est délicieux. ✅ Le fromage est délicieux. → Fromage ends in -age, which is masculine. ❌ La tourisme est important. ✅ Le tourisme est important. → -isme endings are masculine.
Quick Tip
The suffix -age is masculine in French, but be careful: la plage (beach) and la page (page) are notable exceptions.
The suffix -age is masculine in French, but be careful: la plage (beach) and la page (page) are notable exceptions.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: La moment est parfait. → Correct: Le moment est parfait.. -ment endings are masculine. Use le, not la.
Incorrect: La fromage est délicieux. → Correct: Le fromage est délicieux.. Fromage ends in -age, which is masculine.
Incorrect: La tourisme est important. → Correct: Le tourisme est important.. -isme endings are masculine.
Quiz
Which is the correct article for 'appartement'?