words ending in -and
The ending -and is uncommon in French nouns. Most words with this ending are masculine. Many refer to people, especially professions, social types or nationalities.
Several also function as adjectives. French often allows the same form to serve both roles. For example, gourmand can describe a person or act as a noun meaning a glutton.
When the noun refers to a person, the feminine normally ends in -ande.
Examples:
- allemand → allemande
- gourmand → gourmande
- marchand → marchande
- normand → normande
- truand → truande
In standard pronunciation, the final -d is silent.
Common French nouns ending in -and
allemand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: a German person; sometimes the German language
Examples:
- Il est allemand. “He is German.”
- Je parle un peu allemand. “I speak a little German.”
brigand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: bandit, robber, outlaw
Examples:
- Le brigand attaque les voyageurs. “The bandit attacks the travellers.”
- Ils arrêtent le brigand. “They arrest the bandit.”
flamand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: a Fleming; the Flemish language
Examples:
- Il parle flamand à la maison. “He speaks Flemish at home.”
- Le flamand est proche du néerlandais. “Flemish is close to Dutch.”
friand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: a person very fond of something
Examples:
- Je suis friand de vieux films. “I am very fond of old films.”
- Il est friand de chocolat. “He is very fond of chocolate.”
gland
Gender: masculine
Meaning: an acorn; in slang, a foolish or useless person
Examples:
- Le gland tombe du chêne. “The acorn falls from the oak.”
- Il reste là comme un gland. “He stands there like a useless fool.”
gourmand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: a glutton; someone who greatly enjoys rich food
Examples:
- Il est gourmand et adore les desserts. “He is a glutton and loves desserts.”
- Je suis gourmand de fromage. “I love cheese.”
marchand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: merchant, trader, shopkeeper
Examples:
- Le marchand ouvre sa boutique. “The merchant opens his shop.”
- Je parle avec le marchand du marché. “I speak with the market trader.”
normand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: a Norman, a person from Normandy
Examples:
- Il est normand. “He is Norman.”
- Les normands vivent en Normandie. “The Normans live in Normandy.”
répondant
Gender: masculine
Meaning: guarantor; a person who answers for another person in a legal or formal context
Examples:
- Il est répondant du prêt. “He is guarantor of the loan.”
- Le répondant signe le document. “The guarantor signs the document.”
tisserand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: a weaver
Examples:
- Le tisserand travaille sur son métier. “The weaver works at his loom.”
- Le tisserand fabrique du tissu. “The weaver makes cloth.”
truand
Gender: masculine
Meaning: crook, criminal, thug
Note that a “truant” (a child who skips school) is “un/une absentéiste”
Examples:
- Le truand vole une voiture. “The crook steals a car.”
- La police cherche le truand. “The police look for the crook.”
Feminine forms
Nouns referring to people usually form a feminine by adding -e, giving -ande.
Examples:
- allemand → allemande
- gourmand → gourmande
- marchand → marchande
- normand → normande
- truand → truande
- tisserand → tisserande
Example phrases:
- Elle est allemande. “She is German.”
- Elle est gourmande de chocolat. “She loves chocolate.”
Summary
French nouns ending in -and form a small group in the language.
Typical features include:
- most are masculine nouns
- many refer to people
- several can also function as adjectives
- nouns referring to people often form a feminine in -ande
- the final d is silent
Common modern nouns ending in -and include:
- allemand
- brigand
- flamand
- friand
- gland
- gourmand
- marchand
- normand
- répondant
- tisserand
- truand
