Masculine and Feminine Forms of Nationalities in French

Understanding Masculine and Feminine Forms of Nationalities in French

Level: DELF A0

Introduction

When learning French, one essential grammar rule to master is the distinction between masculine and feminine forms of adjectives, including nationalities. Unlike English, where nationality adjectives remain the same regardless of gender, French requires gender agreement.

In this blog post, we will explore the key rules for forming masculine and feminine versions of nationalities in French, followed by a comprehensive list of examples grouped by continent.

General Rules for Forming Masculine and Feminine Nationalities

French nationalities, like other adjectives, generally follow these patterns when changing from masculine to feminine:

1. Adding "-e" → Most masculine nationalities become feminine by simply adding "-e."

    Example: français → française (French)
    Example: anglais → anglaise (English)

2. Doubling the final consonant and adding "-e" → When the masculine form ends in "-ien" or "-on," the final consonant is often doubled before adding "-e."

Example: canadien → canadienne (Canadian)

    Example: brésilien → brésilienne (Brazilian)

3. Irregular changes → Some nationalities undergo spelling changes.

Example: grec → grecque (Greek)

    Example: turc → turque (Turkish)

4. No change → Some nationalities remain the same for both masculine and feminine forms.

    Example: suisse → suisse (Swiss)
    Example: belge → belge (Belgian)

Now, let's explore some nationalities categorized by continent.

Nationalities Grouped by Continent

🌍 Europe

Masculine	Feminine	English Equivalent	Rule Applied
Français	Française	French	Add "-e"
Anglais	Anglaise	English	Add "-e"
Allemand	Allemande	German	Add "-e"
Espagnol	Espagnole	Spanish	Add "-e"
Italien	Italienne	Italian	Double "n" + "-e"
Grec	Grecque	Greek	Irregular
Suisse	Suisse	Swiss	No change
Suédois	Suédoise	Swedish	Add "-e"
Finlandais	Finlandaise	Finnish	Add "-e"
Portugais	Portugaise	Portuguese	Add "-e"
Belge	Belge	Belgian	No change
Néerlandais	Néerlandaise	Dutch	Add "-e"
Turc	Turque	Turkish	Irregular
Russe	Russe	Russian	No change

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🌎 Americas

Masculine	Feminine	English Equivalent	Rule Applied
Américain	Américaine	American	Add "-e"
Mexicain	Mexicaine	Mexican	Add "-e"
Brésilien	Brésilienne	Brazilian	Double "n" + "-e"
Argentin	Argentine	Argentinian	Add "-e"
Colombien	Colombienne	Colombian	Double "n" + "-e"
Canadien	Canadienne	Canadian	Double "n" + "-e"
Chilien	Chilienne	Chilean	Double "n" + "-e"
Péruvien	Péruvienne	Peruvian	Double "n" + "-e"

---

🌏 Asia

Masculine	Feminine	English Equivalent	Rule Applied
Chinois	Chinoise	Chinese	Add "-e"
Japonais	Japonaise	Japanese	Add "-e"
Coréen	Coréenne	Korean	Double "n" + "-e"
Vietnamien	Vietnamienne	Vietnamese	Double "n" + "-e"
Thaïlandais	Thaïlandaise	Thai	Add "-e"
Indien	Indienne	Indian	Double "n" + "-e"
Pakistanais	Pakistanaise	Pakistani	Add "-e"
Indonésien	Indonésienne	Indonesian	Double "n" + "-e"
Cambodgien	Cambodgienne	Cambodian	Double "n" + "-e"
Philippin	Philippine	Filipino	Add "-e"

---

🌍 Africa

Masculine	Feminine	English Equivalent	Rule Applied
Égyptien	Égyptienne	Egyptian	Double "n" + "-e"
Marocain	Marocaine	Moroccan	Add "-e"
Tunisien	Tunisienne	Tunisian	Double "n" + "-e"
Sénégalais	Sénégalaise	Senegalese	Add "-e"
Sud-Africain	Sud-Africaine	South African	Add "-e"
Nigérian	Nigériane	Nigerian	Add "-e"
Ghanéen	Ghanéenne	Ghanaian	Double "n" + "-e"
Kényan	Kényane	Kenyan	Add "-e"

---

🌏 Oceania

Masculine	Feminine	English Equivalent	Rule Applied
Australien	Australienne	Australian	Double "n" + "-e"
Néo-Zélandais	Néo-Zélandaise	New Zealander	Add "-e"

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By following these rules and patterns, you can easily determine the masculine and feminine forms of nationalities in French. Happy learning! 🇫🇷😊

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Read more:

💙   Vocabulary Categories for DELF A1

💙   Table of Contents: French Grammar