What words are masculine in French and what feminine French?

It's not as simple as saying "these words are masculine" and "these words are feminine" in French. Gender in French is a complex system based on the noun itself and not on its meaning. Here's a breakdown:

1. Nouns ending in -e are often feminine:

* la table (the table)

* la porte (the door)

* la maison (the house)

* la chemise (the shirt)

Exceptions:

* le problème (the problem)

* le livre (the book)

* le cycle (the cycle)

2. Nouns ending in -s, -x, -au, -eu are often masculine:

* le chat (the cat)

* le prix (the price)

* le chapeau (the hat)

* le bleu (the blue)

Exceptions:

* la souris (the mouse)

* la voix (the voice)

* la peau (the skin)

3. Many nouns don't follow any clear rule:

* le soleil (the sun) - masculine

* la lune (the moon) - feminine

* le jour (the day) - masculine

* la nuit (the night) - feminine

4. Some nouns have different genders depending on their meaning:

* le manche (the handle) - masculine

* la manche (the sleeve) - feminine

* le poste (the job) - masculine

* la poste (the post office) - feminine

5. Adjectives agree with the noun they modify in gender:

* un beau livre (a beautiful book) - masculine

* une belle table (a beautiful table) - feminine

Learning gender in French requires memorization and practice. There are some general patterns, but ultimately, the best way to learn is to encounter words in context and note their genders.

Don't hesitate to use a dictionary to check the gender of words you're unsure of.