The letter S in the plural of French compound words

Arc-en-ciel, rainbow…

Do we pronounce the final S and make a liaison when it’s in the plural?

Do you know where to put the plural S in compound words in French?

Find out in this mini-lesson and discover 8 compound words in the same category! 

Pronounce like a French person!

In this mini-lesson, you will discover:

• When to pronounce the letter S in the plural of compound words

• Where to put that letter S!

• 8 great examples for you 

When to pronounce the letter S in the plural of compound words?

Compound words are already tricky but it gets even more challenging with the plural. Where should you put the s and how do you pronounce it?

By the way, compound words in French generally possess a hyphen to unite the words. However, some don’t need a hyphen.

Then, every so often there is a preposition or something else to connect the words as well. 

Here’s the list of the 8 French compound words you are going to play with:

• arc-en-ciel  >>> rainbow
• hors-d’oeuvre  >>> appetiser 
• pied-à-terre  >>> small apartment or house kept for occasional use
 
• arc-boutant  >>> flying buttress
• tête-à-tête  >>> private conversation between 2 people
 
• cul-de-sac  >>> a dead-end street
• nom de plume  >>> pen name
• chef-d’oeuvre  >>> masterpiece

8 great examples of French compound words.

Let’s have a look at 8 examples to see where to put the s for the plural. I invite you to watch the video to check the pronunciation.

The first one is arc-en-ciel (rainbow).

Its plural is:

• les arcs-en-ciel  

Then we have hors-d’oeuvre  meaning appetiser with its plural:

• les hors-d’oeuvre  

Here, there’s no difference between the singular and the plural form.

Have you ever heard this common French word pied-à-terre? It literally means foot on the ground. It refers to a place where you can stay for a while. It could be a vacation spot for instance…

The plural is

• les pieds-à-terre  

Not a word you would use everyday: arc-boutant which is flying buttress in English. Just lke rainbow, the s in on the word “arc”:

• les arcs-boutant  

This French compound word is certainly more frequent: tête-à-tête. It means head to head which can be translated as “a private conversation between 2 people”.

Here’s its plural:

• les têtes-à-tête

You already know this word because it’s a French borrowed one: cul-de-sac. 

Literally, it means “bum of the bag”. It’s used for dead-end streets.

Its plural has the same pronunciation as its singular:

• les culs-de-sac

This word means pen names. Before, we used to write with feathers which is “plume” in French. Hence this compound word: nom de plume. 

The plural is this one:

• les noms de plume

Finally, this compound word is very common, especially in arts: chef-d’oeuvre. It means the same in English: chef as master and oeuvre is piece or work. The plural of masterpiece is:

• les chefs-d’oeuvre  

How do you make the plural of compound words in French? 

Have you noticed that the plural is on the first word? Usually, you don’t even say it but you do write it. How do you know it’s plural? The context helps you, In addition, the article “les” or “des” clearly states the plural form.

If you need to review the plural in French, I have these mini-lessons for you:

AL- AUX French plural endings

When to pronounce the last 3 letters -ENT in French

Which French compound words do you know? 

Here are some useful ones: grand-mère, grand-père, pomme de terre, taille-crayon, sèche-cheveux, rond-point, chou-fleur…

As you can see, they are quite numerous in French and it’s in your own interest to know their plural as well.

I hope you found this useful - if you have any questions, I am always happy to help - [email protected]