Le pluriel – How to form the plural for nouns in French

Key takeaways

• Most French nouns form the plural by adding -s.
• Some nouns ending in -al change to -aux.
• Nouns ending in -eau, -au, -eu often take -x.
• Irregular forms and exceptions must be memorized.
• Plurals are essential for everyday French communication.

What Is the Plural in French?

The plural (le pluriel) indicates that there is more than one person, place, or thing. Unlike English, French plurals involve not only adding a letter but also adjusting articles and sometimes changing the noun form itself.

Examples:

• un livre → des livres (a book → books)
• la maison → les maisons (the house → houses)

Basic Rule for Forming Plurals

Most French nouns simply add -s to form the plural.

• chat → chats
• fille → filles
• ami → amis

Special Endings and Exceptions

1. Nouns ending in -s, -x, -z

No change in plural.

• un nez → des nez (nose → noses)
• un choix → des choix (choice → choices)

2. Nouns ending in -al

Change -al → -aux (but not always).

• un animal → des animaux
• un journal → des journaux 
  Exceptions: festival → festivals, bal → bals.

3. Nouns ending in -eau, -au, -eu

Take -x in the plural.

• un bateau → des bateaux
• un jeu → des jeux

4. Nouns ending in -ou

Usually add -s, but some take -x.

• un trou → des trous
• un bijou → des bijoux

1

Articles in the Plural

French plural nouns always need a plural article:

Irregular Plural Nouns

Some plurals must be memorized:

• monsieur → messieurs
• madame → mesdames
• mademoiselle → mesdemoiselles
• œil → yeux

Examples in Sentences

• J’ai trois chiens. → I have three dogs.
• Les enfants jouent dans le parc. → The children are playing in the park.
• Des bateaux sont arrivés au port. → Boats arrived at the harbor.
• Ses yeux sont magnifiques. → His eyes are beautiful.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to change the article with the plural (le livre ❌ instead of les livres ✅).
• Assuming all -al nouns take -aux (some don’t).
• Misplacing adjectives — remember they also take plural endings.

Exercises: Practice the French Plural

1. Fill in the blanks

• un animal → des ________
• un bateau → des ________
• une maison → des ________

2. Translate into French

• The children are happy.
• I have two cats.
• Boats are arriving.

3. Correct the mistakes

• ❌ Les nezs sont grands.
• ❌ Des chevals courent vite.

Answers

1. animaux | bateaux | maisons
2. Les enfants sont heureux | J’ai deux chats | Des bateaux arrivent
3. Les nez sont grands | Des chevaux courent vite

Tips for Mastering French Plurals

• Always learn nouns with their article (un, une, le, la).
• Memorize irregulars and exceptions separately.
• Practice with flashcards to reinforce tricky endings.
• Pay attention to adjective agreement in the plural.

For more learning strategies, explore learning French effectively. To build strong grammar, review French verb tenses. And to set realistic goals, check how long it takes to learn French fluently.

Summary

Forming the plural in French usually means adding -s, but endings like -al, -eau, -eu, -ou introduce exceptions. Some nouns are completely irregular (œil → yeux).

Helpful resources include Lingolia’s overview of Le pluriel and Kwiziq’s guide to forming plurals. With practice, you’ll use plurals like animaux, bateaux, yeux naturally as you learn French with Promova