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French · Writing · C1

Nominalisation: how formal French turns actions into nouns

Nominalisation means expressing an idea with a noun instead of a verb: “the reduction of costs” instead of “we reduced costs”. Reports, headlines, academic papers and administrative French rely on it heavily. Mastering it is one of the clearest markers of C1 writing.

VERBAL STYLE → NOMINAL STYLE Les prix ont augmenté parce que le pétrole coûte plus cher. La hausse des prix s’explique par l’augmentation du coût du pétrole. Prices rose because oil costs more.The rise in prices is explainedby the increase in oil costs.
The nominal version is more compact and impersonal: no one “does” anything. That is exactly why reports prefer it, and why too much of it becomes hard to read.

The suffixes that make nouns

Most nominalisations add a suffix to a verb or adjective. Each suffix also fixes the gender, so you get the article for free.

-tionfeminine from verbs
-mentmasculine from verbs
-agemasculine from verbs
-urefeminine from verbs
-itéfeminine from adjectives
-eurfeminine from adjectives
-ance / -encefeminine from verbs and adjectives
no suffixvaries shortened verbs

Rewriting a sentence, step by step

Nominalisation means turning a verb or adjective into a noun (arriver → l’arrivée). A clause with its own verb then shrinks into a noun phrase, and the joining word changes with it: parce que becomes en raison de, quand becomes dès.

VERBAL Le train est en retard parce qu’ il neige NOMINAL Retard du train en raison de la neige two verbs: est, neigeno verb at all
The verb phrase est en retard becomes the noun retard and moves to the front; the train becomes du train, “of the train”. The result is the shape of a French headline.

Choose a sentence. The everyday version comes first, then the nominal version a report or headline would use.

Verbal · everyday
Lethetraintrainestisen retardlateparce qu’becauseilitneige.snows
luh TRAN ay ahn ruh-TAR pars keel NEZH“The train is late because it’s snowing.”
Nominal · formal
Retarddelayduof-thetraintrainen raison debecause-oflatheneige.snow
ruh-TAR dü TRAN ahn reh-ZON duh lah NEZH“Train delayed due to snow.”

What changed: être en retard → le retard; parce que + verb → en raison de + noun.

Nominal style in headlines

French news headlines are often built from nouns alone, with no verb at all. Every word has its English meaning underneath.

Hausserisedesof-theprixpricesdeofl’énergieenergy
OHS day PREE duh lay-nair-ZHEE “Energy prices rise” Verbal: Les prix de l’énergie augmentent.
Fermetureclosuredeofl’usinethe-factorydeofLyonLyon
fair-muh-TÜR duh lü-ZEEN duh lee-ON “Lyon factory to close” Verbal: L’usine de Lyon ferme.
Nouvellenewbaissefallduof-thechômageunemployment
noo-VEL BESS dü shoh-MAZH “Unemployment falls again” Verbal: Le chômage baisse encore.
Ouvertureopeningd’uneof-aenquêteinquiryaprèsafterl’accidentthe-accident
oo-vair-TÜR dün ahn-KET ah-PREH lak-see-DAHN “Inquiry opened after accident” Verbal: On ouvre une enquête après l’accident.

When to use it, and when not to

Use it forReports, summaries, headlines, titles, slide bullet points, academic abstracts and the DALF synthesis task, where compactness and objectivity count.
Keep verbs forSpeech, emails, narrative and anything where a human voice matters. A paragraph of nothing but nouns linked by de becomes heavy: l’amélioration de la gestion de la répartition des ressources.

-tion, -ment, -ure, -age: which ending?

Gestion, organisation, suivi: nominal style in a CV

French CVs list duties as nouns, not as sentences with je. Each line starts with a noun formed from a verb.

Management
Gestionmanagementd’une équipeof a teamde 8 personnesof 8 people
zhes-TYON dün ay-KEEP duh WEET per-SON · “Managing a team of 8”Why: gérer → la gestion.
Organisation
Organisationorganisationd’événementsof events
or-ga-nee-za-SYON day-vayn-MAN · “Organising events”Why: organiser → l’organisation.
Follow-up
Suivifollow-updes clientsof-the clients
swee-VEE day klee-YAN · “Client follow-up”Why: suivre → le suivi: a participle used as a noun.
Writing
Rédactionwritingde rapportsof reports
ray-dak-SYON duh ra-POR · “Writing reports”Why: rédiger → la rédaction.

Related guides

Next guideThe passé simpleThe other mark of formal written French. Next guideConnectorsen raison de, afin de: the prepositions nominal style needs. Next guideWriting practiceLetters and essays at B2. Course mapFrench hubThe full course map from A1 to C2.