French words that end in the letters “al” can be a trap for learners. That’s because in the plural, they change their spelling to “aux.” The classic example is “un cheval,” which in the plural becomes “des chevaux.”

But this applies to every single noun and adjective ending in the letters “al.”

Nouns are relatively straightforward, since the plural of a masculine noun like “cheval” is “chevaux.”

Adjectives

Adjectives, however, require more care. Every adjective has four possible forms: masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural and feminine plural.

Adjectives ending in “al” only change to “aux” when they agree with a noun that is masculine plural. In the feminine, they just follow the usual rules: add an “e” for feminine singular, and add an “es” for feminine plural.

Meaning	Masculine Singular	Feminine Singular	Masculine Plural	Feminine Plural
friendly	amical	amicale	amicaux	amicales
brilliant	génial	géniale	géniaux	géniales
northern	septentrional	septentrionale	septentrionaux	septentrionales

Examples of adjectives

• A friendly match – un match amical (masculine singular)
• A friendly family – une famille amicale (feminine singular)
• Friendly matches – des matchs amicaux (masculine plural)
• Friendly meetings – des réunions amicales (feminine plural)

List of 530+ words ending in “al” in French

There are a lot of French words ending in the letters “al” – over 530 of them! Of course, some of them are adjectives and some of them are nouns. Here is a list:

abbatial, abdominal, abyssal, aéronaval, aérospatial, allobarbital, amical, amiral, amoral, anal, ancestral, animal, anormal, anti-syndical, anti-viral, anticlérical, antisocial, antiviral, archiépiscopal, architectural, armorial, arsenal, artisanal, asocial, astral, atonal, augural, auroral, austral, automnal, aval, axial, azimutal, bacchanal, bal, banal, bancal, baptismal, basal, bestial, bilatéral, biomédical, bocal, boréal, brachial, brutal, buccal, bucco-génital, cadastral, cal, canal, cantal, cantonal, capital, caporal, caracal, carcéral, cardinal, caricatural, carnaval, catarrhal, cathédral, caudal, causal, central, cérébral, cérémonial, cervical, chacal, chaparral, chenal, cheval, chirurgical, chloral, choral, cipal, clérical, cloacal, coaxial, collatéral, collégial, colonial, colorectal, colossal, commensal, commercial, communal, comportemental, comtal, confédéral, confessionnal, congénital, conjectural, conjugal, consistorial, continental, contre-amiral, convivial, copal, cordial, coronal, corporal, corral, cortical, costal, cristal, crucial, cubital, cultural, curial, cycloïdal, dal, deal, décennal, décimal, délégué-général, déloyal, demi-mal, dental, départemental, diagonal, dialectal, dictatorial, digital, directorial, discal, distal, diurnal, doctoral, doctrinal, domanial, dominical, dorsal, dual, ducal, duodénal, éditorial, égal, électoral, emmental, emmenthal, environnemental, épidural, épiscopal, épithélial, équatorial, équilatéral, essential, estival, étal, ethmoïdal, ex-hôpital, expérimental, extraconjugal, facial, familial, fanal, fatal, féal, fécal, fédéral, feld-maréchal, fémoral, féodal, festival, filial, final, fiscal, floral, floréal, fluvial, focal, foetal, fondamental, foutral, fractal, fromental, frontal, frugal, futal, gal, gardénal, gastro-intestinal, gavial, général, génial, génital, germinal, glacial, global, goal, gouvernemental, graal, grammatical, grippal, guindal, guttural, halal, hélicoïdal, hexagonal, hivernal, hôpital, horizontal, hormonal, humoral, idéal, illégal, immémorial, immoral, impartial, impérial, inamical, inaugural, inégal, infernal, infinitésimal, inguinal, initial, inquisitorial, instrumental, intégral, intercommunal, intercontinental, intercostal, intergouvernemental, international, interracial, intersidéral, intertribal, intervertébral, intestinal, journal, jovial, katal, khédival, kraal, kursaal, labial, lacrymal, latéral, légal, létal, lexical, libéral, libidinal, lilial, lingual, littéral, littoral, local, longitudinal, loyal, lustral, machinal, madrigal, magistral, major-général, majoral, mal, maréchal, marginal, marital, marshal, marsupial, martial, matinal, matriarcal, matrimonial, matutinal, maxillo-facial, maximal, médecin-général, médical, médicinal, médico-légal, médico-social, médiéval, mémorial, mental, méridional, mescal, métal, méthanal, mezcal, mi-animal, mi-métal, mi-oriental, mi-végétal, minéral, minerval, minimal, mistral, mitochondrial, mitral, monacal, mondial, monoclonal, monoparental, monumental, moral, morfal, moyen-oriental, multifamilial, multinational, multiracial, municipal, mural, musical, narval, nasal, natal, national, naval, navire-hôpital, negro, spiritual, néocolonial, néonatal, neural, neuronal, nocturnal, nodal, nominal, normal, notarial, nucal, numéral, nuptial, nymphal, objectal, obsidional, obstétrical, occidental, occipital, octogonal, official, ogival, ombilical, optimal, oral, orbital, orchestral, ordinal, oriental, original, orignal, ornemental, orthogonal, ovoïdal, pal, papal, paradoxal, paramédical, paranormal, parental, pariétal, parodontal, paroissial, partial, pascal, pastoral, patriarcal, patrimonial, patronal, pectoral, pénal, pentagonal, penthiobarbital, penthotal, pentothal, péritonéal, phénobarbital, phénoménal, philosophal, pictural, piédestal, pinéal, pleural, plurinational, pluvial, polygonal, polytonal, pontifical, portal, post-natal, postal, postdoctoral, postnatal, prairial, préélectoral, préfrontal, prénatal, prénuptial, primal, primordial, principal, pro-occidental, procédural, procès-verbal, proche-oriental, professoral, pronominal, protal, provençal, proverbial, provincial, proximal, pyramidal, quadriennal, quetzal, queue-de-cheval, quinquennal, quintal, racial, radial, radical, rational, raval, réal, récital, rectal, régal, régional, rénal, rétinal, revival, rhomboïdal, rhumatismal, rial, rital, rival, rorqual, royal, rural, sacerdotal, sagittal, santal, saroual, scrotal, sculptural, seigneurial, séminal, sénatorial, sénéchal, sentimental, septentrional, sépulcral, serial, sérial, serval, shogunal, sidéral, signal, sinusal, sinusoïdal, sisal, skaal, social, sociétal, sororal, spatial, spécial, spectral, spinal, staturo-pondéral, sternal, stomacal, structural, sub-vocal, subliminal, sublingual, subtropical, successoral, supranational, surrénal, syncopal, syncytial, syndical, temporal, tergal, terminal, territorial, théâtral, thermal, tibial, tombal, tonal, total, trachéal, transcendantal, transcontinental, transnational, transversal, trapézoïdal, trial, tribal, tribunal, triomphal, trional, trivial, tropical, tutorial, unguéal, unilatéral, uninominal, universal, urinal, uxorilocal, vaccinal, vagal, vaginal, vaisseau-amiral, val, variétal, vassal, végétal, vénal, ventral, verbal, vernal, véronal, vertébral, vertical, vespéral, vice-amiral, vicinal, viral, virginal, viscéral, vital, vocal, zodiacal, zonal.