French Grammar 101 - The Rules · French grammar basics · French nouns · Learning French ·Apr 22, 2020

The 8 Types of Noun in the French Language

by Cynthia Kouassi

older man with glasses thinking trying to remember French rules

Before dressing or undressing nouns in sentences as you please, MOLKOÏ will help you identify them by typology so you can understand their function and therefore use them better. Let's start with the 8 different noun types.

Nom commun	Vs	Nom propre
Has a definition, Refers to the elements of an ensemble, Starts with a small letter. e.g. un bonbon, une carotte, un tiroir, etc.		Doesn't have a definition, Refers to a single element (like a place or a person), Starts with a capital letter. e.g. Olivier Tom, le Musée du Louvre, etc.
Nom animé	Vs	Nom inanimé
Refers to a living being (real or imaginary like an animal, a divinity, a human being). e.g. une femme, une souris, un dragon, un policier, etc.		Refers to an object, a feeling, a quality, an action, etc. e.g. un bonbon, la fatigue, l'intelligence, la marche, etc.
Nom comptable	Vs	Nom non-comptable
Can be quantified. e.g. 3 voitures, 5 gaufres, 1 écharpe, etc.		Can't be quantified. e.g. de l'eau, du béton, de la farine, etc.
Nom collectif	Vs	Nom individuel
Refers to an ensemble of several elements, Always used in the singular. e.g. une centaine, la clientèle, une bande, etc.		Refers to an indivisible element, Used in the singular/plural. e.g. un homme, un meuble, une pierre, etc.

I hope that helps. If you have any questions, please leave them in a comment below ↓ and we'll answer them as soon as possible. 😉

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