1. Plural of adjectives in French most often formed in the same way as for nouns, that is, by adding the ending -s.

For example:

un vase rouge - des vases rouges (red vase - red vases);
une belle table - de belles tables (beautiful table - beautiful tables);
une petite chambre - de petites chambres (small room - small rooms);
une ligne droite - des lignes droites (straight line - straight lines);
un mur bleu - des murs bleus (blue (blue) wall - blue walls).

The ending -s is not pronounced!

But in some cases, the plural of adjectives in French is formed according to different rules. They depend on which letter or combination of letters the singular adjective ends with.

2. Adjectives that end in -s or -x in the singular do not change in the plural.

For example:

un fils paresseux - des fils paresseux (lazy son - lazy sons);
un détail curieux - des détails curieux (a curious detail - curious details);
un voyage dangereux - des voyages dangereux (dangerous trip - dangerous trips);
un gros morceau - de gros morceaux (large piece - large pieces);
un vieux cahier - de vieux cahiers (old notebook - old notebooks).

But the adjective vieux in masculine in the singular it also has another form - vieil (used before a noun starting with a vowel or an unpronounceable “h” (“h” muet)). In this case, the plural will be formed from vieux, for example: un vieil oncle - de vieux oncles (old uncle - old uncles).

3. Adjectives ending in -eau in the singular form take on the ending -eaux in the plural.

For example:

un beau jardin - de beaux jardins (beautiful garden - beautiful gardens);
un nouveau tableau - de nouveaux tableaux (new painting - new paintings).

But the above adjectives, which have another form in the masculine singular: bel, nouvel (used before a noun starting with a vowel or unpronounceable “h” (“h” muet)), form the plural from beau, nouveau.

For example:

un bel ami - de beaux amis (beautiful friend - beautiful friends);
un nouvel appareil - de nouveaux appareils (new apparatus - new apparatus).

Please note that in the feminine gender the ending -s is added to the plural adjectives belle (beautiful) and nouvelle (new): de belles places ( Beautiful places, squares), de nouvelles tasses (new cups).

4. Most adjectives that end in -al in the singular have an ending -aux in the plural.

For example:

un problème médical - des problèmes médicaux (medical problem - medical problems);
un pays tropical - des pays tropicaux (tropical country - tropical countries);
un festival international - des festivals internationaux (international festival - international festivals);
un principe fondamental - des principes fondamentaux (fundamental principle - fundamental principles).

But not all adjectives that end in -al in the singular end in -aux in the plural. For example, the adjectives fatal (fatal, inevitable), banal (banal), glacial (icy), natal (native), final (final, final, final) have the ending -s in the plural.

For example:

un pays natal - des pays natals ( Mother country- native countries);
un but final - des buts finals (final goal - final goals);
un compliment banal - des compliments banals (banal compliment - banal compliments);
un vent glacial - des vents glacials (icy wind - icy winds).

When forming the plural, nouns in French can:

• have endings -s, -x,
• remain unchanged
• partially or completely change the base.

In most cases, the plural of both masculine and feminine nouns is formed by adding the ending -s to the singular form. The article, possessive or demonstrative adjective that accompanies the noun must change:

une table (table) - des tables (tables)

un enfant (child) - des enfants (children)

votre robe (dress) - vos robes (dresses)

ce detail (detail) - ces details (details)

Nouns ending in singular — s, — x, — z remain in the plural unchanged:

un fils (son) - des fils (sons)

le pays (country) - les pays (country)

mon choix (choice) - mes choix (election)

un nez (nose) - des nez (nose)

In the plural on x ends:

• nouns on -au, -eau, -eu, -œu

un bateau (boat, ship) - bateaux (boats, ships)

un couteau (knife) - des couteaux (knives)

un bouleau (birch) - des bouleaux (birch)

un chapeau (hat) - des chapeaux (hats)

un cheveu (hair) - des cheveux (hair)

un feu (fire) - des feux (fires)

un jeu (game) - des jeux (games)

un lieu (place) - des lieux (places)

un tuyau (pipe, hose) - des tuyaux (pipes, hoses)

un noyau (bone, kernel) - des noyaux (bones, kernels)

un vœu (oath)— des vœux (oaths)

By general rule The following exceptions form the plural (add s): landau (pram), sarrau (work blouse), bleu (bruise), pneu (tire), émeu (emu).

• seven nouns per ou: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, pou, hibou, joujou. The rest of the nouns ending in -ou change in the standard way: un clou - des clous.

In the plural on aux ends:

• nouns on al:

un animal (animal) - des animaux (animals)

un journal (newspaper) - des journaux (newspapers)

un signal (signal) - des signaux (signals)

un canal (channel) - des canaux (channels)

The following exceptions are subject to the general rule of plural formation: cal, bal, carnaval, chacal, festival, récital, régal (un festival - des festivals).

• the following nouns in -ail: aspirail (vent), bail (rent), corail (coral), émail (enamel), fermail (clasp), gemmail (glass mosaic), soupirail (basement window), travail, vantail (door leaf, window), vitrail (stained glass) (le corail - les coraux). Other nouns on — ail change as usual: un chandail - des chandails.

It should also be noted that in French, not only common and countable nouns are inflected by number, but also abstract ones can have a plural form. This happens in the case of the transition of real uncountable nouns to the class of concrete, and accordingly countable.

In such cases, translation difficulties into Russian often arise, which consist in correct selection equivalent. For example: du bronze - des bronzes (bronze products), du pain - des pains (breadbread), de la gloire - des gloires (celebrities), etc.

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In French, nouns have singular and plural forms. A sign of the plural of nouns, as well as adjectives, numerals and pronouns, is the ending s (sometimes x).

Plural of nouns ending in -s

For most nouns, the plural form is formed from the singular form by adding the ending -s.

Other plural forms

Several groups of nouns have special ways of forming their plurals.

Nouns ending in -s, -x, -z

Singular nouns ending in - s, -x, -z, do not change in the plural.

Nouns ending in -al

Singular nouns ending in - al, in the plural, as a rule, have the ending -aux.

Exceptions:

bal ball, cal callus, carnaval carnival, chacal jackal, festival festival, pal count, régal feast

Examples:
un bal - des bals
un carnaval - des carnavals
un festival - des festivals

Nouns ending in -ail

ail, in the plural have the ending -aux. This group includes the following words: bail, corail, émail, soupirail, travail, vantail, vitrail. The noun ail garlic has a special form - aulx.

un détail detail - des détails
un chandail sweater - des chandails

Nouns ending in -ou

Several singular nouns ending in - ou, in the plural have the ending -x. This group includes the following words: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou, pou.

But:
un clou nail - des clous
un trou hole - des trous

Nouns ending in –au, -eau, -eu

Singular nouns ending in – au, -eau, -eu, in the plural, as a rule, have the ending -x.

Exceptions:

landau baby stroller, sarrau work blouse, bleu Blue colour, bruise, lieu saida (fish), pneu tire

Examples:
un landau - des landaus
un pneu - des pneus

Special cases

• When forming the plural of the nouns oeuf egg, boeuf bull and os bone, phonetic changes occur:

  oeuf[œf] – oeufs [ø]
  boeuf – boeufs
  os - os[o]

• The nouns aïeul, ciel, œil have two plural forms:

Most nouns in French change their numbers very simply - by adding the ending -s. For example, la voiture - les voitures.

If a French noun in the singular ends in -s, -x, -z, then in the plural it has the same form - it does not change. For example, le pays – les pays.

Special cases of plural formation in French

If a French noun ends in -au, -eau, -eu, then the ending –x is added to the plural. The words le bijou, le chou, le caillou, le genou, le joujou, le pou change according to the same pattern.

Most French nouns ending in -ail or -al in the singular have a plural ending in –aux. For example, le journal – les journaux.

Compound nouns in French vary in number in different ways: those formed from nouns and adjectives change both parts of the compound word, and those formed from a verb and a noun change only the second part - formed from the noun.