Last updated on October 27th, 2026 at 09:35 am
Most French nouns and adjectives form their plural by adding -s, just like English. The catch: that -s is usually silent, and a handful of endings follow their own rules. Here are the rules, the exceptions worth memorising and a short exercise.
Key points
- Most words add -s: un livre, des livres. The -s is not pronounced.
- Words ending in -s, -x or -z do not change: un pays, des pays.
- Words in -eau, -au and -eu add -x; most words in -al become -aux.
- You usually hear the plural on the article: le livre, les livres.
Articles and pronouns in the plural
- un, une → des
- le, la, l’ → les
- il → ils, elle → elles (the -s is silent)
The general rule: add -s
Un étudiant italien → des étudiants italiens. Une petite maison → des petites maisons. In speech you hear the difference on the article (le / les, un / des) and through liaison: les_amis.
Endings with special rules
| Singular ending | Plural | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| most words | + s | un livre → des livres |
| -s, -x, -z | no change | un pays → des pays, une voix → des voix, un nez → des nez |
| -au, -eau, -eu | + x | un tuyau → des tuyaux, un bateau → des bateaux, un jeu → des jeux |
| -al | -aux | un journal → des journaux, un cheval → des chevaux |
| -ail | + s | un détail → des détails |
| -ou | + s | un trou → des trous |
The exceptions to learn by heart
- -al → -als: un bal, un carnaval, un festival, un récital, un chacal → des bals, des carnavals, des festivals…
- -eu → -eus: un pneu → des pneus, un bleu → des bleus.
- -ail → -aux: un travail → des travaux, un vitrail → des vitraux, un corail → des coraux, un émail → des émaux.
- -ou → -oux, seven words: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou, pou → des bijoux, des cailloux, des choux…
- Irregular: un œil → des yeux, monsieur → messieurs, madame → mesdames, mademoiselle → mesdemoiselles.
Memory trick: French schoolchildren learn the seven -ou words as a list: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou, pou.
Adjectives in the plural
Adjectives follow the same rules and agree with the noun: un livre intéressant → des livres intéressants, un beau jardin → de beaux jardins. Most adjectives in -al become -aux (social → sociaux), but banal, fatal, final and naval take -als. Our guide to French adjectives covers agreement and placement in detail.
Exercise: put into the plural
- 1. un bateau
- 2. un cheval
- 3. un bijou
- 4. un travail
- 5. un pneu
- 6. un festival
- 7. un œil
- 8. un pays
- 9. un journal intéressant
- 10. un jeu dangereux
Answers: des bateaux, des chevaux, des bijoux, des travaux, des pneus, des festivals, des yeux, des pays, des journaux intéressants, des jeux dangereux
Going further
Plural articles also matter for quantities: see our article on the French partitive article. Check your level with our free French level test and practise in our French conversation lessons.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the plural in French?
Most nouns and adjectives add -s: un livre, des livres. Words ending in -s, -x or -z do not change, words in -eau, -au and -eu add -x, and most words in -al become -aux.
What is the plural of œil in French?
Des yeux. It is one of the few completely irregular plurals.
Which French words in -ou take -x in the plural?
Seven words: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou and pou. All others take -s: des trous, des clous.
Is the plural -s pronounced in French?
No, it is usually silent. You hear the plural on the article (le / les) and in liaisons before a vowel: les_enfants.
Live French · one-to-one Zoom lessons with native teachers since 2007 · 4.9/5 on Google
Perfectionnez votre français : cours d’essai gratuit ! Inscrivez-vous ici
