A1.22 - Body parts

The plural of nouns

Le pluriel des noms

Reconnaître et former les pluriels des noms

(Recognize and form plural nouns)

What changes when you make a noun plural

  • Article changes: le / la / l’ → les
  • Noun changes: usually add -s (but there are common patterns)
  • Adjective (if any) often changes too: add -s in the plural
  • Verb changes: est → sont (when you go from singular to plural)
Singular Plural What to notice
La tête est grande. Les têtes sont grandes. la → les, tête → têtes, est → sont, grande → grandes

Rule 1: the regular plural (-s) is the default

  • Most nouns form the plural with + s.
  • In pronunciation, the final -s is usually silent.
  • la tête → les têtes
  • un festival → des festivals
  • le bras → les bras (already ends in -s, so it does not change)

Rule 2: -eau / -eu often becomes -x

  • If a noun ends in -eau or -eu, the plural is often + x.
Ending Singular Plural
-eau la peau les peaux

Self-check: You will often see the x in writing, but you usually do not pronounce it.

Rule 3: many -al nouns become -aux (but not all)

  • Many nouns ending in -al change to -aux in the plural.
  • This is a spelling change: -al → -aux.
  • le mal → les maux

Important exception you should remember: some -al nouns take the regular plural -als.

  • un festival → des festivals (not des festivaux)

Words that do not change in the plural: -s, -x, -z

  • If the singular already ends in -s, -x, or -z, it usually does not change in the plural.
  • You mainly see the plural through the article (les) or a number (deux, trois…).
Singular Plural Reason
le dos les dos ends in -s already
le nez les nez ends in -z already
le bras les bras ends in -s already

Irregular plural to know now: œil → yeux

  • un œil → des yeux
  • You must memorize this one (it is very common).

Practical phrase: J’ai mal aux yeux. (“My eyes hurt / I have sore eyes.”)

Mini checklist before you speak or write

  1. Is it plural? (number, “les”, or context)
  2. Change the article: le/la → les
  3. Choose the noun plural pattern:
    • default: + s
    • -eau / -eu → + x
    • -al → -aux (but watch exceptions like festival → festivals)
    • -s / -x / -z already: no change
    • memorize: œil → yeux
  4. Make the sentence agree if needed: est → sont, adjective + s
RèglesSingulierPluriel
General + 's'La tête (the head) Les têtes (the heads)
-eau/ -eu + "x" La peau  (the skin)Les peaux  (the skins)
 -al/ -ail + "aux"  Le mal  (the pain) Les maux  (the pains)
Ne change pas au plurielLe dos (the back)Les dos (the backs)

Exceptions!

  1. "Yeux" is the irregular plural of "œil".
  2. Nouns that end in "s, x, z" in the singular do not change in the plural.
  3. Some words end in "-al" but their plural is "als" and not "aux" (e.g., "un festival" → "des festivals")

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Après le sport, je bouge ___ et les épaules.

After exercising, I move ___ and my shoulders.

2. Ouvrez la bouche, je regarde ___ dents.

Open your mouth, I'm going to look at ___ teeth.

3. J’ai mal aux ___ et à la tête.

I have a pain in my ___ and my head.

4. Le dos et le nez ne changent pas au pluriel : deux dos, deux ___.

Back and nose do not change in the plural: two backs, two ___.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite each sentence in the plural (article, noun and adjective if necessary). Example: “La tête est petite.” → “Les têtes sont petites.”

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  1. La tête est grande.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Les têtes sont grandes.
    (Les têtes sont grandes.)
  2. J’ai mal à l’œil.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    J’ai mal aux yeux.
    (J’ai mal aux yeux.)
  3. Le dos est fatigué après le sport.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Les dos sont fatigués après le sport.
    (Les dos sont fatigués après le sport.)
  4. La peau est sensible.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Les peaux sont sensibles.
    (Les peaux sont sensibles.)
  5. Le mal est sérieux.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Les maux sont sérieux.
    (Les maux sont sérieux.)
  6. Le festival est populaire en été.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Les festivals sont populaires en été.
    (Les festivals sont populaires en été.)

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Friday, 06/03/2026 05:38