Most names for professions change if the person is masculine or feminine.
Je suis avocat, dit Jim.
Je suis avocate, dit Tina.
I'm a lawyer, Jim says.
I'm a lawyer, Tina says.
Je vois un acteur et une actrice sur scène.
I see an actor and an actress on stage.
Il y a un vendeur et une vendeuse.
There is a salesman and a saleswoman.
And also if referring to more than one person:
Lucie et Sarah sont chanteuses.
Lucie and Sarah are singers.
Luc et Patrick sont chanteurs.
Luc and Patrick are singers.
BUT
Masculine always wins in French!
Here are some more examples:
Voilà le président François et la présidente Angela.
Here are the president François and the president Angela.
Il y a un vendeur et une vendeuse.
There is a salesman and a saleswoman.
Le directeur rencontre la directrice.
The headmaster meets the headmistress.
Voilà le chanteur Charles Aznavour et la chanteuse Céline Dion.
Here are the singer Charles Aznavour and the singer Céline Dion.
Il y a un docteur et une doctoresse.
There is a (male) doctor and a (female) doctor.
Exceptions:
Il y a un médecin et un médecin femme.
There is a (male) doctor and a (female) doctor.
Le professeur (ou le prof) s'appelle Eric.
La professeur (ou la prof) s'appelle Noémie.
The teacher's name is Eric.
The teacher's name is Noémie.
-> Note that the Académie Française considers la professeure a neologism.
See also Don't use un, une when giving people's professions (zero article)
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Le professeur (ou le prof) s'appelle Eric.
La professeur (ou la prof) s'appelle Noémie.
The teacher's name is Eric.
The teacher's name is Noémie.
Le directeur rencontre la directrice.
The headmaster meets the headmistress.
Luc et Sarah sont chanteurs.
Luc and Sarah are singers.
Voilà le président François et la présidente Angela.
Here are the president François and the president Angela.
Il y a un vendeur et une vendeuse.
There is a salesman and a saleswoman.
Luc et Patrick sont chanteurs.
Luc and Patrick are singers.
Voilà le chanteur Charles Aznavour et la chanteuse Céline Dion.
Here are the singer Charles Aznavour and the singer Céline Dion.
Lucie et Sarah sont chanteuses.
Lucie and Sarah are singers.
Je suis avocat, dit Jim.
Je suis avocate, dit Tina.
I'm a lawyer, Jim says.
I'm a lawyer, Tina says.
Il y a un docteur et une doctoresse.
There is a (male) doctor and a (female) doctor.
Daniel est le créateur et Isabelle est la créatrice aussi.
Daniel is the creator and Isabelle is the creator too.
Je vois un acteur et une actrice sur scène.
I see an actor and an actress on stage.
Il y a un médecin et un médecin femme.
There is a (male) doctor and a (female) doctor.
Q&A
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
3/03/19
Hi Joan,
Yes, you would say,
‘C’est une professeur/e’
or
‘Elle est professeur/e
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
23/01/19
Bonjour Patrick !
I see your point, therefore I've rephrased the question as "Who can this sentence be referring to?"
Bonne journée !
Chris
Kwiziq community member
9/01/19
Je suis. -- I am.
Just for completness sake, there is the verb suivre (to follow) which also looks like suis in the first person singular.
Chris
Kwiziq community member
14/09/18
I agree, James, the question is poorly phrased. It can be interpreted in a way that all choices are correct, i.e., Georges is speaking and referring to an (unmentioned) group of people.
But even without this, the question doesn't really test whether you can distinguish the male or female version of professeur. It just tests whether you know that sommes refers to more than one person.
Chris
Kwiziq community member
24/08/18
Sundas
Kwiziq community member
26 July 2018
1 reply
Hi
“Vous êtes vendeues “
I chose Grace and Tom speaking but my answer was wrong the correct one was Grace and Anna.Can anyone explain why since vous is to address both gender.Many thanks.
Chris
Kwiziq community member
26/07/18
Grace and Tom are a mixed gender group, whereas Grace and Anna are a pure female group. Vous êtes vendeuses is the female form and hence leaves no room for Tom.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
13/07/18
Hi Tristan.
Les deux sont permis, techniquement parlant, un médecin est docteur en médecine.
Bonne continuation!
Vernon
Kwiziq community member
19 June 2018
1 reply
Est-ce qu'on peut dire "la médecin" ou "un professeur femme"?
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
19/06/18
Hi Vernon,
The correct way to talk about women in the jobs that traditionally were the realm of men has changed over the years but now the emphasis is on the job and not the fact that they are female.
There is much polemic about the correct way to describe them but you cannot say 'la médecin', you will use 'la doctoresse' or if you talk about your female doctor, or pilot, or engineer, you will simply say 'mon médecin', 'mon pilote' , 'mon ingénieur(e)' , regardless of their sex.
In the case of teachers, it will be 'la professeur', (or 'la prof' ) and not 'un professeur femme'.
Hope this helps!
Gruff
Kwiziq language super star
14/06/18
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
14/06/18
Bonjour Anh!
Because here "femme" is not an adjective, but a noun - "a woman doctor" - so it's "médecin" which acts like a qualifier here and therefore is placed after "femme".
I hope that's helpful!
Bonne journée !
Margaret
Kwiziq community member
14 April 2019
0 replies
Time to update this lesson/question?
L'Académie officially changed the rules on this a couple of months ago: https://www.france24.com/fr/20190228-academie-francaise-feminisation-langue-metier
As recently as 2014 they said the feminized forms (professeure, écrivaine, etc.) were "véritables barbarismes", but now their use "ne constitue pas une menace pour la structure de la langue"... They specify that the e at the end must never be pronounced though, so it's effectively just a spelling change.