If a French person, never having encountered the word "oasis" (a child for example), suddenly happens to see that word, will he intuitively know that it's feminine?
A French question
Non, il n'y aucun moyen de "découvrir" le genre grammatical de <oasis> autrement que par l'imitation de celui qui vient de prononcer ce mot. Sinon, il y a bien sûr les dictionnaires pour ceux qui hésitent.
Et les hésitants sont d'ailleurs nombreux :
<une oasis> → 16 %
*<un oasis> → 84 %.
Mais :
<une oasis de verdure> → 89 %
*<un oasis de verdure> → 11 %
<une oasis saharienne> → 91 %
*<un oasis saharien> → 9 %
<oasis saharienne> → 93 %
*<oasis saharien> → 7 %
<oasis providentielle> → 97 %
*<oasis providentiel> → 3 %
<une oasis providentielle> → 100 %
*<un oasis providentiel> → 0 %
Et les hésitants sont d'ailleurs nombreux :
<une oasis> → 16 %
*<un oasis> → 84 %.
Mais :
<une oasis de verdure> → 89 %
*<un oasis de verdure> → 11 %
<une oasis saharienne> → 91 %
*<un oasis saharien> → 9 %
<oasis saharienne> → 93 %
*<oasis saharien> → 7 %
<oasis providentielle> → 97 %
*<oasis providentiel> → 3 %
<une oasis providentielle> → 100 %
*<un oasis providentiel> → 0 %
" If a French person, never having encountered the word "oasis" (a child for example), suddenly happens to see that word, will he intuitively know that it's feminine? "
usually, when we encounter a word, we encounter it in its context: in a sentence, writed or pronounced: that is to say always linked with "le" or "la". It is the article that give us the idea that a word is masculine or feminine.
There are some exceptions, for exemple the words that began with a vowel. because in this case we use " l' " in both feminine or masculine case. In that situation it is the whole sentence that helps to know the gender: if a child hear "L'éléphant est grand", he will know that "Elephant" is masculine, because of "grand" and not "grande".
usually, when we encounter a word, we encounter it in its context: in a sentence, writed or pronounced: that is to say always linked with "le" or "la". It is the article that give us the idea that a word is masculine or feminine.
There are some exceptions, for exemple the words that began with a vowel. because in this case we use " l' " in both feminine or masculine case. In that situation it is the whole sentence that helps to know the gender: if a child hear "L'éléphant est grand", he will know that "Elephant" is masculine, because of "grand" and not "grande".