Plural Nouns

Plural French nouns
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!

Noms pluriels

While most nouns, in both French and English, can be singular or plural, some can only be one or the other – and dozens of these don’t "match up" in the two languages. The nouns on this page are plural in French but singular in English.

 Grammar note

The French nouns are plural in every respect: they require the third-person plural (ils / elles) form of the verb, plural adjective agreement, etc.

Par exemple …

Je mange des pâtes aux Ă©pinards. I’m eating spinach pasta.
Vos conseils m’aident beaucoup. Your advice helps me a lot.

Plural French nouns

abats offal 
affaires business 
agrès exercise machine 
alentours vicinity 
arrhes deposit 
asperges asparagus 
auditeurs audience 
bagages baggage, luggage 
bestiaux livestock 
biche(s) deer1
brocolis broccoli 
cĂ©rĂ©ales cereal 
cerf(s) deer1
cheveux hair 
chevrons herringbone 
combles attic 
connaissances knowledge2
conseils advice 
coordonnĂ©es contact information,
name and address
 
crevettes shrimp 
dĂ©bris debris 
dĂ©chets garbage, rubbish 
dĂ©combres rubble 
dĂ©gâts damage2
devoirs homework 
dommage(s) damage2
donnĂ©es data3
Ă©bats amoureux/sexuels lovemaking 
Ă©checs chess 
environs vicinity 
Ă©pinards spinach 
Ă©trennes gift4
fiançailles engagement 
foins hay2
fruit(s) fruit5
fumerolles volcanic smoke and gas2
funĂ©railles funeral 
graffitis graffiti 
il y a de fortes chances que… there’s a good chance that…
informations information 
logiciel(s) software5
maths math (American English) 
mĂ©dicaments medicine 
meubles furniture 
mouton(s) sheep1
munitions ammunition 
noces wedding2
obsèques funeral 
ordures garbage, rubbish 
parasites static 
pâtes pasta 
pierreries gems 
poisson(s) fish1
preuve(s) evidence5
prĂ©visions forecast 
proches next of kin 
progrès progress2
ravages havoc 
règles (avoir ses règles) period (to have one’s period)
recherches research 
remords remorse 
renseignements information 
rente(s) income2
revenu(s) income2
sables mouvants quicksand 
sciences science2
spaghettis spaghetti 
spectateurs audience 
tĂ©nèbres darkness 
transports transportation 
vacances vacation (US)
holiday(s) (UK)
 
vĂŞtements clothing 
victuailles, vivres food 

Notes

1. These nouns have unmarked plurals, meaning the same word is used for both singular (the deer is) and plural (the deer are).

2. These are usually plural in French, but are occasionally used in the singular (lesson coming soon).

3. In fact, "data" is plural ("datum" is the singular noun), but many English speakers use it as if it’s singular.

4. For Christmas or New Year’s.

5. These nouns are countable in French (take an "s" for plural) but uncountable (always singular) in English.

 Related lessons

 Share / Tweet / Pin Me!

Plural French nouns

  Lawless French Files:  

Stay up to date with Lawless French

Questions about French?

 Ask me in the comments section below or visit the Progress with Lawless French Q+A forum to get help from native French speakers and fellow learners.
 

More Lawless French

 Subscribe to my twice-weekly newsletter.
      

Support Lawless French

  This free website is created with love and a great deal of work.

If you love it, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation.

Your support is entirely optional but tremendously appreciated.