1. Traditional Gender:
* Nouns ending in -e: These are generally feminine. Examples: *la table*, *la porte*.
* Nouns ending in -tion, -sion, -sion, -té, -eur, -ure, -aison, -ance, -ence, -esse: These are usually feminine. Examples: *la nation*, *la passion*, *la lecture*, *la nature*, *la peur*.
2. Irregular Gender:
* Many nouns have genders that don't follow any clear pattern. You'll need to memorize these. Examples:
* *le soleil* (sun) – masculine
* *la lune* (moon) – feminine
* *le jour* (day) – masculine
* *la nuit* (night) – feminine
3. Gender Agreement:
* Adjectives, articles (le, la, les), and other determiners must agree in gender with the noun they modify.
* This means if the noun is feminine, the adjective must be feminine, and vice versa.
4. Exceptions:
* Some nouns can be either masculine or feminine depending on the context.
* For example, *le/la personne* (person) can be masculine or feminine depending on the gender of the person referred to.
5. Helpful Tips:
* Context: Pay attention to the surrounding words, especially articles and adjectives, to determine the gender of the noun.
* Dictionaries: Use dictionaries, which will list the gender of the noun.
* Practice: The more you practice, the more you'll become familiar with the genders of common words.
Remember: French gender is often based on historical reasons and doesn't always follow a clear logic. The best way to learn it is through immersion and practice.