Compound Nouns

Compound Nouns: the Basics

Rule 1: A compound noun is a word made up of several elements (adjectives, nouns, verbs, prepositions, adverbs). These elements may or may not be linked by a hyphen.

Gender of the Compound Nouns

Rule 2: The gender of the compound nouns can be very complicated, but there are a few rules that should help you determine it:

- When the noun is created out of two nouns, it matches the gender of the first noun. When there is a noun and an adjective, gender matches that of the noun.

- When there are prepositions in the compound noun, it's usually masculine.

- The prefix mi- (mid) is almost always feminine.

Plural Form of the Compound Nouns

Rule 3: The plural of compound nouns is complicated, but we can stick to these three tips:

- Usually, nouns and adjectives both change in the plural.

- When there are prepositions in the compound noun, only the first noun generally agrees.

- The word "demi" (half) is invariable.