Forming the plural of French nouns ending in -al
French words ending in -al have a different ending in the plural form.
Learn how to form the plural of French nouns ending in -al
Look at these examples:
J'ai un animal familier. J'adore les animaux !I have a pet. I love animals!
Tu as un cheval ? - Non, j'ai deux chevaux.Do you have a horse? - No, I have two horses.
Il y a un hôpital dans ma ville. - Il y a trois hôpitaux ici !There's one hospital in my town. - There are three hospitals here!
Je lis le journal tous les jours. - Je déteste les journaux !I read the newspaper every day. - I hate newspapers!
Note that most nouns ending in -al become -aux in the plural.
But as usual in French, there are some exceptions !
Here is a list of the most common ones:
des bals([dancing] balls),
des carnavals,
des festivals,
des récitals,
des régals (feasts/delights),
des chacals (jackals)
des carnavals,
des festivals,
des récitals,
des régals (feasts/delights),
des chacals (jackals)
And here's a link to a more exhaustive list of exceptions.
See also Forming the plural of adjectives ending in -al in French
and Forming the plural of French adjectives ending in -al (exceptions)
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
