francaise

Française is the feminine singular form of the French adjective français, meaning “French.” It is used to describe feminine nouns or to refer to a female person from France. Common examples include la langue française, la cuisine française, and une femme française.

Grammatically, the masculine form is français, and the feminine singular is française. The plural forms are français (masculine) and françaises (feminine). When used as a noun to denote people from France, the corresponding forms are les Français (masculine) and les Françaises (feminine).

Etymology and origin: française derives from Old French français, which itself comes from Latin Francus, meaning a member of the Franks. The name Francia referred to the lands of the Franks. The feminine ending -aise is a productive derivational suffix in French for forming adjectives of nationality or origin.

Usage notes: French grammar requires gender agreement, so française changes to match the noun it modifies. The term is widely used across topics such as language, culture, and cuisine. In English-language writing, the feminine form française is typically encountered only in direct French phrases or discussions of gendered forms; the English equivalent for the broader sense is “French.”