Every French noun is masculine or feminine, and it changes the little words around it: le/la, un/une. There's no logic to the meaning (a table is feminine, a desk masculine), but the ending is a good guide.
Usually feminine
| Ending | Examples |
|---|---|
| -tion, -sion | la nation, la télévision |
| -té | la liberté, la santé |
| -ette | la baguette |
| -ence, -ance | la chance |
| -ure | la voiture |
| -ie | la boulangerie |
Usually masculine
| Ending | Examples |
|---|---|
| -ment | le moment |
| -age | le fromage, le voyage |
| -eau | le bateau |
| -isme | le tourisme |
| -ier, -er | le cahier |
The exceptions to learn
la plage, la page, l'image (-age, but feminine); l'eau, la peau (-eau, but feminine); l'été (-té, but masculine).
A habit that works
Never learn a noun alone: learn it with un or une. Une voiture, not voiture. With l', which hides the gender, add an adjective: l'eau froide.
Same word, two genders
A few words change meaning with gender: le livre (book) and la livre (pound); le tour (tour) and la tour (tower).