French Plurals: Common Patterns and Exceptions
Examples of French noun plurals, from the usual -s to common -x and -aux patterns, with exceptions such as pneus and bleus.
Most French plurals simply add -s, which stays silent in speech - the article (le/les) carries the plural sound instead. Exceptions: -eau and most -eu nouns take -x (château→châteaux), most -al nouns become -aux (cheval→chevaux), and words already ending in -s, -x or -z don’t change at all.
Quick answer
Most French plurals simply add -s, which stays silent in speech - the article (le/les) carries the plural sound instead. Exceptions: -eau and most -eu nouns take -x (château→châteaux), most -al nouns become -aux (cheval→chevaux), and words already ending in -s, -x or -z don’t change at all.
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The default: add -s (usually silent)
Un chat → des chats - the S itself stays silent; the article le/les carries the audible plural marker instead. See French articles for the spoken-plural insight this connects to.
Exception 1: -eau and most -eu nouns → -x
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| château | châteaux |
| jeu | jeux |
| cadeau | cadeaux |
Some -eu nouns instead add -s: pneu → pneus (tyres) and bleu → bleus (shades of blue), for example.
Exception 2: most -al nouns → -aux
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| cheval | chevaux |
| animal | animaux |
A small exception-to-the-exception group keeps -als instead: bal, carnaval, festival.
Exception 3: already ending in -s, -x, -z
Unchanged: un prix / des prix (price/prices), une souris / des souris (mouse/mice).
Irregular plurals (a short honest list)
œil → yeux (eye → eyes, genuinely irregular), monsieur → messieurs.
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Questions about this note
Is the plural -s pronounced in French?
No - usually silent; the article marks the plural in speech.
What's the plural of château?
châteaux (-eau → -x).
What's the plural of animal?
animaux (-al → -aux).
Do all -al words follow the -aux rule?
Most do, but a few (bal, carnaval, festival) simply add -s.
What's the plural of œil (eye)?
yeux - a genuinely irregular form.