99 Nationalities & Country Names In French: +Gender & Capitalization Rules

List of country names in French and their corresponding nationalities in French. Plus, tips on how to remember if countries are masculine or feminine.

Country names, genders, and nationalities in French
Country names, genders, and nationalities in French

This list has over 100 country names in French and English and their corresponding nationalities in French. I've also included some tips on how to know if a country or nationality is masculine or feminine.

Rules to Remember About Country Names And Nationalities In French

If you speak English, you're in luck because many country names in French and nationalities in French look or sound very similar to English.

For example, here are few country names in French you might recognize.

Denmark is Danemark, France is France, Japan is Japon.

Not all country names sound similar to their name in English, for example England in French is Angleterre (On-Gluh-Tear)

What trips people up the most when it comes to country names and nationalities in French are the following:

  1. When to capitalize and when not to capitalize.
  2. Masculine and Feminine genders.
  3. The exceptions to the rules.

Let's quickly go through some rules and then move on to the list of country names and nationalities in French below. Or if you know all the rules, you can just skip to the list by scrolling down.

ARTICLES: (m) means masculine and (f)

-THE: LE (m,) LA (f), LES (pl)
-A, AN, or ONE: UN (m), UNE (f), DES (pl)

1) Never Capitalize Languages

When dealing with countries and nationalities, language is bound to come up. Fortunately, they're easy to deal with because languages are never capitalized.

Here are some example phrases using languages.

  • Do you speak French?
    • Est ce que vous parlez français?
  • You speak English very well. 
    • Vous parlez très bien anglais.
  • I love speaking French with the French
    • J'adore parler français avec les Français.

2) Country names in French: Masculin, Feminine, Capitalized?

*How do you know if the gender of a country name in French is masculine or feminine?

*When do you capitalize country names in French? 

It's actually pretty easy!

If you memorize some simple rules and know a few exceptions to the rules, you'll never forget a country's gender in French again. 

Let's go through them now!

RULE: Country names in French are always capitalized because they are proper nouns.

Feminine Country Names In French

RULE: In French, country names that end in -E are always feminine.

They use the article -la (or -l' if the country starts with a vowel.)

  • l'Angleterre
  • l'Italie
  • la France
  • la Tunisie
  • la Thaïlande
EXCEPTION TO THE -E RULE: There are 6 countries that end with -E, that are not feminine. (see next section about masculine country names)

The only 6 country names in French that end with -E, that are masculine are: 

  1. le Belize
  2. le Cambodge
  3. le Mexique
  4. le Mozambique
  5. le Suriname
  6. le Zimbabwe

Masculine Country Names In French

RULE: Any country name in French that does not end with an -E is masculine. These masculine countries take the article -le.
  • Le Guatemala
  • Le Japon
  • Le Maroc
  • Le Portugal

Plural Country Names In French

Some countries, like the United States, are always plural and take the article -les

  • Les États-Unis
  • Les Bahamas
  • Les Bermudes
  • Les Comores
  • Les Émirats arabes unis
  • Les Fidji or Les Îles Fidji
  • Les Îles Féroé
  • Les Pays-Bas
  • Les Philippines
  • Les Seychelle

3) Nationalities In French Genders: masculine or Feminine? Capitalized or Not?

"Nationalité"

Without knowing the rules, you might be wondering why some nationalities in French are capitalized, while others are not. Or how nationality in French can be masculine and feminine in the same phrase?

Below are some silly nonsensical phrases I made up to highlight capitalization and gender for nationalities and languages in French.

Notice how the word "FRANÇAIS" is capitalized and not capitalized in the same sentence. 

French words are not capitalized as often as they are in English. Many words that are always capitalized in English cannot be capitalized in French or are only sometimes capitalized, such as nationalities. 

  • Les Français parlent le français avec la Française en France.
    • The French speak French with the French person in France
  • François est français et Isabelle est française
    • Francois is French, and Isabelle is French

Let's go over the rules now!

Rules to remember about Nationalities In French!

Nationality And Gender In French (If Used As A Proper Noun)

Let's go over each of the rules with examples now!

RULE: GENDER OF A NATIONALITY MUST AGREE WITH THE GENDER OF THE SUBJECT: This means genders can change for nationalities, unlike countries that are either masculine or feminine and never change.
**DO NOT CAPITALIZE NATIONALITIES when they are used as adjectives to modify a noun.
  • The French wine is magnificent.
    • Le vin français est magifique (m)
  • The French car is in style.
    • La voiture française est en vogue (f)

In the two phrases above, "français(e)" is used as an adjective, so it's NOT capitalized.

In the above French phrases, "Vin" is masculine so the adjective "français" must agree and also be in the masculine form.  "Voiture" is feminine so the adjective "française" must agree and is in the feminine form.

  • A French film
    • Un film français. (m)
  • A French show
    • Une émission française. (m)

The French word "Film" is masculine so the nationality "français" must also be masculine. The French word "émission" is feminine so the nationality françaismust also be in feminine form. 

RULE: CAPITALIZE NATIONALITIES when they are used as nouns and refer to an inhabitant of a country.

I spoke with an English person.

  • J’ai parlé avec un Anglais.(m)
  • J'ai parlé avec une Anglaise.(f)

In the two phrases above, the nationality "Anglais(e)" is used as a noun and refer to a persons nationality so they are both capitalized.

The gender of the person in the first phrase is masculine  "un" so the nationality must agree and also be masculine "Anglais". In the second phrase above, the nationality of the person is feminine "une" and so her nationality should also be feminine by adding an -E to the end "Anglaise."

EXCETION TO CAPITALIZING SOMEONES NATIONALITY IN FRENCH

The word "français" In the French phrase "je suis français" (I am French) refers to an inhabitant of a country, so shouldn't it be capitalized?

Non!  L’Académie française has a special rule when stating a nationality like this and treats it the same as an adjective. So in this case, nationality should not be capitalized.. (Even native French speakers mess this one up)

  • I am French
    • Man: Je suis français
    • Woman: Je suis française
  • I am English
    • Man: Je suis anglais
    • Woman Je suis anglaise
Académie française: rule for nationality: the exception

4) How to write nationalities in masculin and feminine form (cheat Sheat)

Making a nationality feminine is really simple.

  • If country name ends in (-ais, -ois, or -ain): Add an (e) to the end. 
  • If country name ends in (-en): Add (ne) to end.

Masculine

(m)

Feminine

(f)

NATIONALITIES

-ais

-aise

(français, française), (anglais, anglaise), (japonais, japonaise), etc.

-ois

-oise

(chinois, chinoise), (suédois, suédoise), (danois, danoise, (québécois, québécoise), etc.

-ain

-aine

(américain, américaine), (mexicain, mexicaine), (cubain, cubaine), etc.

-en

-enne

(canadien, canadienne), (australien, australienne), etc.

List of Countries And Nationalities In French with Genders
***Starts Here****

MAP OF EU: Cyprus is part of EU

On to the list.

I have not included every single world country and nationality but there are roughly 100.

I've also included the names of French territories and the names of the continents in French and English. 

EUROPE, EU, EEU, And EFTA Countries

Nationalities with * take no article but have a gender

COUNTRY (EN)

Country gender

COUNTRY (FR)

NATIONALITY (FR)

Albania

(f)

l'Albanie

Albanais(e)

Andorra

(microstate)

(f)

l'Andorre

Andorran(e)

Austria (EU)

(f)

l'Autriche

Autrichien(ne)

Belgium  (EU)

(f)

la Belgique

*Belge

Bulgaria  (EU)

(f) 

la Bulgarie

*Bulgare

Croatia (EU)

(f)

la Croatie

*Croate

Cyprus (EU)

W Asia Continent

(f) no article

Chypre

*Chypriote

Czechoslovakia (EU)

(f)

la Tchécoslovaquie

*Tchèque

Denmark (EU)

(m)

le Danemark

Danois(e)

England

(brexit)

(f)

l'Angleterre

Je suis Anglais(e)

Finland (EU)

(f)

la Finlande

Finlandais(e)

France (EU)

(f)

France

Française(e)

Germany (EU)

(f)

l'Allemagne

Allemagne(e)

Greece (EU)

(f)

la Grèce

Grec(que)

Hungary (EU)

(f)

Hongrie

hongrois(e)

Iceland (EEA) (EFTA)

(f)

Islande

Islandais(e)

Ireland (EU)

(f)

l'Irlande

Irlandais(e)

Italy (EU)

(f)

l'Italie

Italien(ne)

Latvia (EU)

(f)

la Lettonie

Letton(ne)

Liechtenstein (EEA) (EFTA)

(m)

le Liechtenstein

Liechtensteinois(e)

Lithuania (EU)

(f)

la Lituanie

Lituanien(ne)

Luxembourg (EU)

(m)

le Luxemburg

Luxembourgeois(e)

Malta (EU)

(f) no article

Malte

Maltais(e)

Monaco

(microstate)

(m) no article

Monaco

*Monégasque

Netherlands (EU)

aka (Holland)

(m)

les Pays-Bas

Néerlandais(e)

Norway (EEA) (EFTA)

(f)

la Norvège

Norvégien(ne)

Poland (EU)

(f)

le Pologne

Polonais(e)

Portugal (EU)

(m)

le Portugal

Portugais(e)

Romania (EU)

(f)

la Roumanie

Roumain(e)

Slovakia (EU)

(f)

la Slovaquie

*Slovaque

Slovenia (EU)

(f) 

la Slovénie

*Slovène

Spain (EU)

(f) 

l'Espagne

Espagnol(e)

Sweden (EU)

(f)

la Suède

Suédois(e)

Switzerland (EFTA)

(f)

la Suisse

*Suisse

Ukrane

(f)

l'Ukraine

Ukrainien(ne)

Vatican
(microstate)

(m)

 le Vatican

Vatican(e)

NORTH AMERICA

COUNTRY (EN)

Country gender

COUNTRY (FR)

NATIONALITY (FR)

Canada

(m) le

Canada

Canadien(ne)

United States Of America

(m) les

États-Unis d'Amérique

Américain(e)

Mexico

(m) le

Mexique

Mexicain(e)

ASIA (South Eastern & Eastern)

Nationalities with * take no article but have gender

COUNTRY (EN)

Country gender

COUNTRY (FR)

NATIONALITY (FR)

India

(f)

 l'Inde

Indien(ne)

Indonesia

(f)

 l'Indonésie

Indonésien(ne)

China

(f)

la Chine

Chinois(e)

Malaysia

(f)

la Malaise

Malais(e)

Mongolia

(f)

la Mongolie

*Mongole

Myanmar

(f)

la Myanmar

(or) Birmanie

Myanmarais(e)

Thailande

(f)

la Thaïlande

Thaïlandais(e)

Philippines

(f)

les Philippines

*Philippine

Brunei

(m)

le Brunéi

Brunéien(ne)

Cambodia

(m)

le Cambodge

Cambodgien(ne)

Japan

(m)

le Japon

Japonais(e)

Korea

(m)

le Corée

Coréen(ne)

Laos

(m)

le Laos

Laotien(ne)

Nepal

(m)

le Népal

Népalais(e)

Taiwan

(m)

le Taiwan

Taïwanais(e)

Vietnam

(m)

le Vietnam

Vietnamien(ne)

Singapore

(m) No article

Singapour

Singapourien(ne)

ASIA (Western)

COUNTRY (EN)

Country gender

COUNTRY (FR)

NATIONALITY (FR)

Armenia

(f) l'

Arménie

Arménien(ne)

Saudi Arabia

(f) l'

Arabie saoudite

Saoudien(ne)

Georgia

(f) la

Géorgie

Géorgien(ne)

Jordan

(f) la

Jordanie

Jordanien(ne)

State of Palestine

(f) la

Palestine

Palestinien(ne)

Syria

(f) la

Syrie

Syrien(ne)

Turkey

(f) la

Turquie

Turc
Turque

Azerbaijan

(m) l'

Azerbaïdjan

Azerbaïdjanais(e)

Iran

(m) l'

Iran

Iranien(ne)

Iraq

(m) l'

Irak

Irakien(ne)

Kuwait

(m) le

Koweït

Koweïtien(ne)

Lebanon

(m) le

Liban

Libanais(e)

Qatar

(m) le

Qatar

Qatarien(ne)

*sometimes Qatari

Yemen

(m) le

Yémen

*Yéménite

United Arab Emirates

(m) les

Émirats arabes unis

Émirien(ne)

*sometimes Émirati

Bahrain

(m) No article

Bahreïn

Bahreïnien(ne)

Israël

(m) No article

Israël

Israélien(ne)

Oman

(m) No article

Oman

Omanais(e)

NORTH AFRICA

COUNTRY (EN)

Country gender

COUNTRY (FR)

NATIONALITY (FR)

Algeria

(f) l'

Algérie

Algérien(ne)

Egypt

(f) l'

Égypte

Égyptien(ne)

Libya

(f) la

Libye

Libanais(e)

Mauritania

(f) la

Mauritanie

Mauritanien(ne)

Tunisia

(f) la

Tunisie

Tunisien(ne)

Morocco

(m) le

Maroc

Marocain(e)

Sudan

(m) le

Soudan

Soudanais(e)

FRENCH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES

France d'outre-mer (DROM-COM)

France has 13 distinct overseas territories. Only 11 have permanent populations.

COUNTRY (EN)

Country gender

COUNTRY (FR)

Note

Clipperton Island

(m) le

Clipperton

Uninhabited 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi) ring-shaped coral reef in the eastern Pacific Ocean

Guadeloupe

(f) la

Guadeloupe

Island located in French Caribbean sea islands 577 km from Puerto Rico

French Guiana

(f) la

Guyane

In northern Atlantic coast of South America

Martinique

(f) la

Martinique

Island located in the Caribbean Sea. 714 km from Puerto Rico. 

Mayotte

(f) la

Mayotte

Island that is part of the Comoros archipelago off the coast of Africa

New Caledonia

(f) la

Nouvelle-Calédonie

Located 900 miles (1,500 km) east of Australia

French Polynesia

(f) la

Polynésie française

Located in the South Pacific Ocean halfway between California & Australia

Réunion

(f) la

Réunion

Island in the Indian Ocean about 900 km from Madagascar

Saint Barthélemy

(f) la

Saint-Barthélemy

Island in the Caribbean Sea about 400 from Puerto Rico

Saint Martin

(m) le

Saint-Martin

Island in the Caribbean Sea about 374 from Puerto Rico

Saint Pierre And Miquelon

(m) le

Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon

Off the coast of Newfoundland Canada

French Southern And Antarctic Lands

les

Terres australes et antarctiques françaises

No permanent residents: mainly seasonal military personnel, scientific researchers and support staff.

Wallis and Futuna

(m) le

Wallis-et-Futuna

3 main islands a number of tiny islets located 280 km northeast of Fiji. Geographically part of western Polynesia

CONTINENTS

ENGLISH

FRENCH

Africa

l'Afrique (f)

Asia

l'Asie (f)

America

*North America

**South America

l'Amerique  (f)

*l'Amérique du nord (f)

**l'Amérique du sud (f)

Antarctica

l'Antartique (f)

Europe

l'Europe (f)

Oceania

l'Océanie (f)

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Annie André

Annie André

About the author

I'm Annie André, a bilingual North American with Thai and French Canadian roots. I've lived in France since 2011. When I'm not eating cheese, drinking wine or hanging out with my husband and children, I write articles on my personal blog annieandre.com for intellectually curious people interested in all things France: Life in France, travel to France, French culture, French language, travel and more.

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