🌈 Gender-Neutral Pronouns in French: A Complete Guide

French is a gendered language, meaning almost every noun and pronoun is either masculine or feminine. Traditionally, French only had two subject pronouns for “they”:

• ils → masculine or mixed group

• elles → feminine group

But in recent years, gender-neutral pronouns have emerged to make French more inclusive. Let’s explore how they work and how people use them today.

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1. Why Gender-Neutral Pronouns in French?

• French learners often struggle because gender is everywhere in the language.

• Non-binary and gender-diverse communities in French-speaking countries have developed inclusive pronouns to avoid the binary “il/elle” system.

• These new forms are not (yet) officially recognized by the French Academy, but they are increasingly used in informal, activist, and inclusive spaces.

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2. Common Gender-Neutral Pronouns

1. Iel (or ielle)

• Blend of il (he) + elle (she).

• Used like “they” in English for a singular person.

• Example: Iel est étudiant à Lyon. → They are a student in Lyon.

2. Ul (or ol)

• Less common, but used in some communities.

• Example: Ul travaille beaucoup. → They work a lot.

3. Al

• Another variant, less widespread.

• Example: Al est content·e. → They are happy.

👉 Among these, iel is by far the most widely used, even added to some dictionaries (e.g., Le Petit Robert in 2021).

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3. Gender-Neutral Plural

• iels → gender-neutral plural form (instead of ils/elles).

• Example: Iels habitent à Paris. → They live in Paris.

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4. Inclusive Writing and Agreement

Since French adjectives and participles usually mark gender, speakers often adapt spelling to be more inclusive:

• Il est content / Elle est contente

• Inclusive: Iel est content·e (dot used to include both forms)

Plural inclusive form:

• Ils sont contents / Elles sont contentes

• Inclusive: Iels sont content·es or content·e·s

👉 Different styles exist (point médian ·, tiret -, parentheses). It’s still evolving.

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5. Usage in Real Life

• Official French grammar still doesn’t formally accept neutral pronouns.

• In daily life: You’ll see iel mostly in activist, academic, or LGBTQ+ contexts.

• In media: Some progressive outlets and writers now use iel.

• In speech: Less common, because it can sound unusual — but growing among younger generations.

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6. Examples in Sentences

• Iel est professeur·e d’anglais. → They are an English teacher.

• Iels vont venir ce soir. → They are coming tonight.

• Je ne sais pas si ul est d’accord. → I don’t know if they agree.

• Al est toujours prêt·e à aider. → They are always ready to help.

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✅ Quick Recap

• Traditional French = only il/elle (he/she).

• Inclusive French = introduces iel, ul, al for non-binary or gender-neutral reference.

• Plural form = iels.

• Written French often uses inclusive endings like content·e, étudiant·e.

• Usage is evolving → widely used in some communities, still debated in mainstream grammar.

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🎯 Practice Exercise

Translate into French with gender-neutral pronouns:

1. They are my friend.

2. They are tired but happy.

3. They are students in Lyon.

(Hint: Use iel/iels + inclusive adjective endings.)

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Conclusion

Gender-neutral pronouns in French (iel, ul, al, iels) are part of a growing effort to make the language more inclusive. While not officially recognized in traditional grammar, they are increasingly common in writing and speech, especially among younger and activist communities.

👉 As a learner, it’s useful to be aware of them — you’ll encounter them in modern French culture, even if you don’t use them yourself every day.

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TAGS

• Gender-neutral pronouns in French
• French non-binary pronouns
• Inclusive French grammar
• How to use iel in French
• Iel vs il vs elle