Compound Nouns

CONTENT
  1. Compound Nouns: the Basics
  2. Gender of the Compound Nouns
  3. Plural Form of the Compound Nouns

Compound Nouns: the Basics

Rule 1: A compound noun is a word made up of several elements (adjectives, nouns, verbs, prepositions, adverbs). These elements may or may not be linked by a hyphen.

Native

Translation

l'arc-en-ciel

the rainbow

le portemanteau

the coat rack

la grand-mère

the grandmother

la pomme de terre

the potato

Gender of the Compound Nouns

Rule 2: The gender of the compound nouns can be very complicated, but there are a few rules that should help you determine it:

- When the noun is created out of two nouns, it matches the gender of the first noun. When there is a noun and an adjective, gender matches that of the noun.

Native

Translation

une grand-mère

a grandmother (f)

- When there are prepositions in the compound noun, it's usually masculine.

Native

Translation

un arc-en-ciel

a rainbow (m)

- The prefix mi- (mid) is almost always feminine.

Native

Translation

la mi-hiver

mid-winder (f)

Plural Form of the Compound Nouns

Rule 3: The plural of compound nouns is complicated, but we can stick to these three tips:

- Usually, nouns and adjectives both change in the plural.

Native

Translation

une grand-mère - des grands-mères

grandmother - grandmothers

- When there are prepositions in the compound noun, only the first noun generally agrees.

Native

Translation

un arc en ciel - des arcs en ciel

rainbow - rainbows

- The word "demi" (half) is invariable.

Native

Translation

une demi-journée - des demi-journées

half-day - half-days

Quiz

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_ oiseau-mouche

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correct answers.