Nouns (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
French nouns - General vocabulary
Understanding and memorising French nouns is fundamental to building your vocabulary in French. This revision note will help you learn essential nouns whilst understanding how gender works in French.
Understanding French noun gender
French nouns are either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with them. In the vocabulary lists, you'll see (m) for masculine nouns and (f) for feminine nouns. Learning the gender alongside each noun is crucial for proper French grammar.
The most effective way to learn French nouns is to memorise them with their definite articles - le for masculine nouns and la for feminine nouns. This helps you remember the gender naturally. For example, learn "le mois" (the month) rather than just "mois", and "la minute" (the minute) rather than just "minute".
Essential French vocabulary
The following vocabulary is organised thematically to help you build your French noun knowledge systematically. Each table includes the gender markers alongside the translations to support your learning.
When studying these vocabulary lists, try to practise each noun with its correct article. This will help you develop an intuitive sense of French gender patterns over time.
Time and dates
| French | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| an | (m) | year |
| année | (f) | year |
| mois | (m) | month |
| semaine | (f) | week |
| jour | (m) | day |
| journée | (f) | day |
| heure | (f) | hour, time |
| minute | (f) | minute |
| moment | (m) | moment |
| nuit | (f) | night |
| matin | (m) | morning |
| après-midi | (m) | afternoon |
| soir | (m) | evening |
| soirée | (f) | evening |
Months and seasons
| French | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| janvier | (m) | January |
| février | (m) | February |
| mars | (m) | March |
| avril | (m) | April |
| mai | (m) | May |
| juin | (m) | June |
| juillet | (m) | July |
| août | (m) | August |
| septembre | (m) | September |
| octobre | (m) | October |
| novembre | (m) | November |
| décembre | (m) | December |
| printemps | (m) | spring |
| été | (m) | summer |
| automne | (m) | autumn |
| hiver | (m) | winter |
Notice that all months and seasons are masculine in French. This is a helpful pattern to remember when learning these vocabulary items.
People and relationships
| French | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| ami | (m) | friend |
| personne | (f) | person |
| gens | (mpl) | people |
| dame | (f) | lady |
| monsieur | (m) | gentleman |
| madame | (f) | Mrs, madam |
| mademoiselle | (f) | Miss |
| étranger | (m) | foreigner, stranger |
| groupe | (m) | group |
Abstract concepts and emotions
| French | Gender | English |
|---|---|---|
| idée | (f) | idea |
| opinion | (f) | opinion |
| problème | (m) | problem |
| solution | (f) | solution |
| question | (f) | question |
| raison | (f) | reason |
| importance | (f) | importance |
| expérience | (f) | experience |
| peur | (f) | fear |
| surprise | (f) | surprise |
| souci | (m) | worry, concern |
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Understanding French noun patterns and pronunciation rules will accelerate your vocabulary acquisition and improve your overall fluency.
Gender patterns: While French gender can seem random, there are some helpful patterns:
- Most nouns ending in -tion are feminine (conversation, attention, information)
- Most nouns ending in -age are masculine (avantage, village)
- Most nouns ending in -ment are masculine (moment, équipement)
Pronunciation tips:
- Silent letters: Many French words have silent final consonants (e.g., "nord" sounds like "nor")
- Liaison: When a noun beginning with a vowel follows "les" (plural), you'll hear a "z" sound: "les amis" sounds like "lay-za-mee"
- Accent marks affect pronunciation: "été" (summer) has a different sound from "ete"
Example sentences
Worked Example: Using French nouns in context
Here are example sentences using vocabulary from our list, showing both present and past tenses:
Present tense:
- J'ai un ami français. (I have a French friend.)
- Cette expérience est importante. (This experience is important.)
- Le problème est difficile. (The problem is difficult.)
- Nous avons une question. (We have a question.)
Past tense (passé composé):
- J'ai eu une bonne idée hier. (I had a good idea yesterday.)
- Nous avons visité la ville en été. (We visited the town in summer.)
- Il a eu peur pendant le film. (He was scared during the film.)
- Elle a trouvé la solution au problème. (She found the solution to the problem.)
Translation exercise
Worked Example: Translation practice
French → English:
- Mon ami arrive en janvier pour une semaine.
- Cette expérience était importante pour le groupe.
English → French: 3. The lady has an interesting opinion about the problem. 4. We had a surprise during the evening.
Answers:
- My friend is arriving in January for a week.
- This experience was important for the group.
- La dame a une opinion intéressante sur le problème.
- Nous avons eu une surprise pendant la soirée.
Key Points to Remember:
- Always learn French nouns with their definite articles (le/la) to remember gender
- Masculine nouns use le (singular) and les (plural)
- Feminine nouns use la (singular) and les (plural)
- Many abstract nouns ending in -tion, -sion are feminine
- Time expressions like months and seasons follow specific gender patterns
- Practice using new vocabulary in complete sentences to improve retention