Most French nouns follow fairly simple rules for the formation of the plural: they simply add an “s” to the end of the noun to make the plural form. Other nouns, however, may pose more difficulty. French nouns can have a great variety of endings, and some of the plural forms are made in unique ways.

Nouns Ending in -s, -x, or -z

If the noun already ends in -s, -x, or -z, no change occurs; a plural article is simply used with a word to indicate the plural.

Table 5-4

Nouns Ending in -s, -x, or -z

Singular	Plural	English
le fils	les fils	son(s)
le repas	les repas	meal(s)
le prix	les prix	prize(s) or price(s)
le nez	les nez	nose(s)

Nouns Ending in -ail

Most nouns ending in -ail add an “s” at the end of the word to form the plural.

Table 5-5

Nouns Ending in -ail

Singular	Plural	English
l'éventail	les éventails	fan(s)
le détail	les détails	detail(s)

A few nouns ending in -ail don't follow the regular rules, dropping the -ail and adding -aux to the end instead.

Table 5-6

Irregular Nouns Ending in -ail

Singular	Plural	English
le bail	les baux	lease(s)
le corail	les coraux	coral(s)
l'émail	les émaux	enamel(s)
le travail	les travaux	work(s)

Nouns Ending in -eau

For nouns ending in -eau, simply add an “x” to the end of the noun.

Table 5-7

Nouns Ending in -eau

Singular	Plural	English
le couteau	les couteaux	knife/knives
le gâteau	les gâteaux	cake/cakes

Nouns Ending in -eu

For nouns ending in -eu, add an “x” to the end of the noun.

Table 5-8

Nouns Ending in -eu

Singular	Plural	English
le jeu	les jeux	game(s)
le feu	les feux	fire(s)

Nouns Ending in -al

For nouns ending in -al, the ending is changed to -aux.

Table 5-9

Nouns Ending in -al

Singular	Plural	English
l'animal	les animaux	animal(s)
le canal	les canaux	canal(s)

Nouns Ending in -ou

For nouns ending in -ou, add an “x” to the end of the word.

Table 5-10

Nouns Ending in -ou

Singular	Plural	English
le chou	les choux	cabbage(s)
le genou	les genoux	knee(s)

Nouns That Are Always Plural

Some French nouns are always used in the plural sense; the singular either doesn't exist or means something different.

Table 5-11

Nouns That Are Always Plural

Plural Noun	English
les gens	people
les mathématiques	mathematics