French grammar trick #9: Ous or oux?

The French language is full of exceptions and nasty rules when it comes to its grammar and orthography. This series of posts will give you some tricks to remember them quite easily.

This little trick will help you remember when the plural of a word ending with ou takes an s or an x.

All the words ending with -ou take an -s in their plural form, except seven, which take an -x: chou/choux, bijou/bijoux, genou/genoux, caillou/cailloux, hibou/hiboux, pou/poux, joujou/joujoux.

Here is a list of mnemonics to help you remember them:

• Mon chou, mon bijou, viens sur mes genoux avec tes joujoux, et jette des cailloux sur ce vilain hibou plein de poux.
• Un hibou moche comme un pou avait pour joujou sur ses genoux un caillou aussi chou qu’un bijou.
• Je Peux Boire Comme Ces Gros Hommes (J like *joujou*, P like *poux*…)

French grammar trick #5: être or avoir?
French grammar trick #6: Past participle or infinitive?
French grammar trick #7: Leur or leurs?
French grammar trick #8: Ce or se?

Don’t forget to upvote this post if you would like me to present other French grammar tricks, and leave a comment if you want me to deal with a specific grammatic point.

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