Learning French becomes easier when you understand how different word endings help create meaning. One of the most productive and useful suffixes in French is –age. It is widely used to form nouns from verbs and sometimes from nouns or adjectives. These new words often express an action, result, process, group, or enhancement related to the original word.
In this article, we will explore the formation rules, meaning patterns, gender rules, and many examples to help you understand how the suffix –age works in French.
Introduction: What Is the Suffix –age?
The suffix –age is a common French noun-forming ending added primarily to verbs, and occasionally to nouns and adjectives. When attached to a verb, –age usually expresses the action, result, or purpose of that verb. In English, these often correspond to nouns ending in –ing (brushing, shaving, filling) or nouns derived from actions (packaging, scaffolding, shelving).
For language learners, mastering the suffix –age not only helps you expand your vocabulary but also improves your ability to guess new words from context. Because this suffix follows predictable patterns, you can often form the right noun by applying simple rules.
1. Formation of –age with Verbs
a) The General Rule
When the suffix –age is added to a verb, the resulting word is a masculine noun that represents:
- an action
- a process
- a result
- the purpose of the verb
To form this noun, you generally take the stem of the verb and add –age.
b) Finding the Stem
Most of the time, the stem comes from the present participle form of the verb.
- Present participle ends in –ant
- Remove –ant
- Add –age
However, for the majority of regular –er verbs, the stem is the same as the infinitive without –er.
Examples (Regular –er verbs)
| Infinitif | English | Stem | French Noun | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| afficher | to post/display | affich– | affichage | posting/displaying |
| brosser | to brush | bross– | brossage | brushing |
| emballer | to pack | emball– | emballage | packaging/packing |
| raser | to shave | ras– | rasage | shaving |
In these examples, –age turns a simple action into a noun describing the activity or its result.
Why –age Works Like English –ing
In many cases, the noun created with –age corresponds directly to English:
- affichage → posting
- brossage → brushing
- rasage → shaving
- emballage → packaging
This makes –age one of the easiest French suffixes for English speakers to understand.
2. Formation of –age with Regular –ir Verbs
Regular –ir verbs behave slightly differently. Their present participle includes –issant, so the stem used for –age usually contains the syllable –iss–.
Examples (Regular –ir verbs)
| Infinitif | English | Stem | French Noun | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| blanchir | to bleach | blanchiss– | blanchissage | bleaching/laundering |
| nourrir | to feed | nourriss– | nourrissage | feeding |
| remplir | to fill | rempliss– | remplissage | filling |
Notice the consistent addition of –iss–, which marks them as –ir verb derivatives.
Why This Happens
Regular –ir verbs form their present participle with:
- blanchir → blanchissant
- remplir → remplissant
Removing –ant leaves blanchiss–, rempliss–, etc. This is why these nouns include the –iss– sound.
3. Suffix –age Added to Nouns or Adjectives
Although less common, –age can be added to nouns and occasionally to adjectives to express:
- a collection or group of something
- a set of items
- an improved, extended, or expanded version of the noun
- a structure related to the original noun
Sometimes, when adding –age, the final letter of the base noun may be doubled.
Examples
| Base Noun | English | French Word | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| échafaud | scaffold | échafaudage | scaffolding |
| rayon | shelf | rayonnage | shelving / set of shelves |
| seuil | threshold | seuillage | thresholding |
These examples show how –age can create new nouns that refer to structures, groups, or technical processes.
4. Meaning Patterns of –age
The suffix –age often indicates one of several predictable meanings. Understanding these helps identify the sense of new vocabulary.
✔ a) Action or Process
This is the most common function.
Examples:
- lavage → washing
- stockage → storing
- mélange → mixing
✔ b) Result of an Action
- emballage → packaging
- nettoyage → cleaning result
- collage → sticking/pasting result
✔ c) Group or Collection
- feuillage → foliage/leaves
- outillage → tools / set of tools
- mobilier → furniture set (by analogy; though not –age, similar concept)
✔ d) Technical or Mechanical Operation
Used often in industry:
- usinage → machining
- polissage → polishing
- décollage → takeoff (aviation)
✔ e) Structures or Constructions
- bâti → building → bâtiage (rare but exists in old use)
- échafaud → échafaudage → scaffolding
5. Gender Rules with –age
A key pattern to remember:
⭐ Nouns ending in the suffix –age are almost always masculine.
Examples:
- le voyage
- le nettoyage
- le mariage
- le broyage
- le paysage
The Few Exceptions
Some nouns end in –age, but the letters do not represent the suffix. These words are feminine.
Examples:
- la page
- l’image
- la cage
- la plage
- la nage
These exceptions are important because learners often misclassify them.
6. Detailed Examples in Context
✔ affichage
Défense d’afficher — Affichage interdit.
Posting is forbidden.
✔ emballage
L’emballage de ce produit est recyclable.
The packaging of this product is recyclable.
✔ rayonnage
Le magasin a remplacé tout le rayonnage.
The store replaced all the shelving.
✔ seuillage
Used in photography or computing to refer to threshold adjustments.
✔ nourrissage
Often used for feeding animals in agriculture or zoos.
Context helps students understand how the new noun relates to the base verb.
7. How –age Helps Expand Vocabulary
Once you identify a verb, you can often guess the –age noun automatically:
- nettoyer → nettoyage
- voyager → voyage
- bricoler → bricolage
- répéter → répétage (rare/incorrect; “répétition” is used instead)
While most follow the rule, always check the dictionary because some verbs prefer other suffixes like –tion, –ment, or have irregular noun forms.
8. Using –age in Modern French
The suffix –age appears across many fields:
✔ Daily life
- lavage
- ménage
- partage
✔ Cooking
- hachage (chopping)
- brassage (brewing)
- mélange (mixing)
✔ Technical industries
- usinage (machining)
- rivetage (riveting)
- sertissage (crimping)
✔ Nature
- feuillage (foliage)
- branchage (branches)
Understanding this suffix allows learners to identify new words more confidently.
Conclusion
The French suffix –age is one of the most productive and versatile endings in the language. By attaching –age to verbs, and sometimes nouns, French creates new masculine nouns that describe actions, results, processes, structures, and collections. Knowing how to form and recognize these nouns helps learners decode vocabulary easily, guess meanings from context, and expand their mastery of French word formation.
From affichage to rayonnage, from lavage to remplissage, –age brings clarity to how French transforms simple verbs and nouns into descriptive, functional expressions. With just a few formation rules and pattern recognition, you can significantly enhance your understanding of French morphology.