一般而言,一个单词有相对应唯一的阴阳性(例如我们说"un bureau","une chaise")。而即使我们不小心说“une bureau","un chaise,对方也能很快理解你要说的是什么。另外,有一些单词拥有两种形式,分别指男性及女性词性(比如“un avocat/une avocate“, “un acteur/une actrice“)。
因此,尽管我们总被要求准确记住每一个单词的词性,在日常使用过程中,这似乎不是一个大问题。
然而,以下这些词你要小心:他们有相同的读音(甚至有时连长相也相同),不用的词性确实对应了不同的意思。有时微乎其微,有时却相去甚远。试想,如果你把脖子说成了胶水……
Masculine | Feminine | |||
un aide | male assistant | une aide | help, assistance, female assistant | |
un air | air, look, aria | une aire | area, zone, eyrie | |
un auteur | author | une hauteur | height | |
le bal | dance | la balle | ball | |
le bar | bar/pub, bass (fish) | la barre | bar (rod), barre, helm | |
le barbe | barb | la barbe les barbes | beard ragged edge | |
le barde | bard (poet) | la barde | bard (armor for a horse, piece of fat surrounding a piece of meat) | |
le basilic | basil, basilisk | la basilique | basilica | |
le basque | Basque language | la basque | tails (of a jacket) | |
le boum | bang, explosion, (fam) success | la boum | (inf) party | |
le bout | tip, end | la boue | mud | |
le bugle | bugle | la bugle | bugleweed | |
le but | aim, goal, purpose | la butte | hillock, mound | |
le cache | card/mask (to hide s.t.) | la cache | cache, hiding place | |
le capital | capital, money | la capitale | capital city, capital letter | |
le carpe | carpus | la carpe | carp | |
le cartouche | (archeology) cartouche | la cartouche | cartridge, carton | |
le casse | break-in, robbery | la casse | breaking, damage, breakages | |
le cave | (familiar) idiot, sucker | la cave | basement, cellar | |
le central | center court, (telephone) exchange | la centrale | station, plant, group | |
le champagne | champagne | la Champagne | Champagne region | |
le chêne | oak tree/wood | la chaîne | chain, channel, stereo | |
le chèvre | goat cheese | la chèvre | goat | |
le chine | china, rice paper | la chine la Chine | second hand / used trade China | |
le chose | thingie, contraption | la chose | thing | |
le col | collar, neck | la colle | glue | |
le coq | rooster | la coque | hull, fuselage, cockle | |
le cours le court | class (tennis) court | la cour | court, yard | |
le crème | coffee with cream | la crème | cream | |
le crêpe | crepe material | la crêpe | thin pancake | |
le cric | jack | la crique | creek, inlet | |
le critique | male critic | la critique | criticism, review, fem critic | |
le diesel | diesel fuel | la diesel | diesel automobile | |
un enseigne | ensign (rank) | une enseigne | sign ensign (flag, banner) | |
un espace | space | une espace une Espace | printing space car model from Renault | |
le fait le faîte | fact summit, rooftop | la fête | party | |
le faune | faun | la faune | fauna | |
le fil | thread, yarn, string | la file | line, queue | |
le finale | finale (music) | la finale | final (sports) | |
le foie | liver | la foi une fois | faith once, one time | |
le foudre | (ironic) leader, large cask | la foudre | lightning | |
le garde | guard, warden, keeper | la garde | guard duty, custody, private nurse | |
le gène | gene | la gêne | trouble, bother, embarrassment | |
le geste | gesture | la geste | gest, epic poem | |
le gîte | shelter, cottage bottom round (meat) | la gîte | list, inclination of ship | |
le greffe | court clerk's office | la greffe | transplant, graft | |
le guide | guide (book or person) | la guide les guides | girl scout/guide reins | |
un interligne | space (typography) | une interligne | lead (typography) | |
le jars | gander | la jarre | jar | |
le lac | lake | la laque | lacquer, shellac, hairspray | |
le légume | vegetable | la légume | (informal) la grosse légume - big shot | |
le lieu | place | la lieue | league | |
le livre | book | la livre | pound (money & weight) | |
le maire | mayor | la mer la mère | sea mother | |
le mal le mâle | evil male | la malle | trunk | |
le manche | handle | la manche la Manche | sleeve English Channel | |
le manœuvre | laborer | la manœuvre | maneuver, operation | |
le manque | lack, shortage, fault | à la manque | (familiar) crummy, second-rate | |
le mari | husband | la mari Marie | apocope of la marijuana feminine name | |
le martyr le martyre | male martyr martyrdom, agony | la martyre | female martyr | |
le mémoire | memo, report, memoirs | la mémoire | memory | |
le merci | thanks | la merci | mercy | |
le mi | mi (musical note E) | la mie | soft part of bread | |
le mode | method, way, mood | la mode | fashion | |
le moral | morale | la morale | moral (of story), morals | |
le mort | dead body | la mort | death | |
le mou | softness | la moue | pout | |
le moule | mold | la moule | mussel | |
le mousse | ship's boy (apprentice) | la mousse | moss, froth, foam, mousse | |
le mur | wall | la mûre | blackberry | |
un œuvre | body of work | une œuvre | piece of work, task | |
un ombre | grayling (fish) | une ombre | shade, shadow | |
orange | orange (color) | une orange | orange (fruit) | |
le page | page boy | la page | page (of a book) | |
le pair le père | peer father | la paire | pair | |
Pâques (m) | Easter | la pâque les Pâques | Passover Easter | |
le parallèle | parallel (figurative) | la parallèle | parallel line | |
le pendule | pendulum | la pendule | clock | |
personne | (negative pronoun) no one | la personne | person | |
le pet | (familiar) fart | la paie la paix | pay peace | |
le physique | physique, face | la physique | physics | |
le plastique | plastic | la plastique | modeling arts, body shape | |
le platine | platinum | la platine | turntable, deck, strip of metal | |
le poêle | stove | la poêle | frying pan | |
le poids le pois | weight pea, dot | la poix | pitch, tar | |
le politique | politician | la politique | politics, policy | |
le ponte | (informal) big shot | la ponte | laying eggs, clutch of eggs | |
le poste | job, post, tv/radio set | la poste | post office, mail/post | |
le pot | jar, pot, tin, can | la peau | skin | |
le pub | pub/bar | la pub | ad (publicité - advertising) | |
le pupille | male ward | la pupille | pupil of an eye, female ward | |
le radio | radio operator | la radio | radio, X ray | |
le relâche | rest, respite, break* | la relâche | rest, respite, break*, port of call | |
le renne | reindeer | la reine la rêne | queen rein | |
le rose | pink (color) | la rose | rose (flower) | |
le roux | red, red-head, roux (soup base) | la roue | wheel | |
le secrétaire | male secretary writing desk, secretary | la secrétaire | female secretary | |
le sel | salt | la selle | saddle | |
le soi | self, id | la soie | silk | |
le sol | ground, floor, soil | la sole | sole (fish) | |
le solde | balance (account), sale | la solde | pay | |
le somme | snooze, nap | la somme | sum, amount | |
le souris | smile (archaic) | la souris | mouse | |
le tic | tic, twitch | la tique | tick | |
le tour | tour, turn, trick | la tour | tower, rook (chess) | |
le trompette | trumpeter | la trompette | trumpet | |
le vague | vagueness | la vague | wave | |
le vapeur | steamer | la vapeur | steam, haze, vapor | |
le vase | vase | la vase | silt, mud | |
le vigile | night watchman | la vigile | vigil | |
le visa | visa (to enter a country) | la visa | Visa (credit card) | |
le voile | veil | la voile | sail |
*For these meanings, relâche can be masculine or feminine.