In English, certain nouns are uncountable. We cannot say "one advice", "two luggages", or "three softwares". To count these concepts, we have to use measuring words, like "a piece of advice" or "an item of luggage".
French grammar is much more relaxed about these categories. Many nouns that are strictly uncountable in English are perfectly countable in French. You can use numbers directly with them, give them a plural s, and put words like un or une right in front of them.
Word list
alimentmA1foodun aliment, des aliments = a food item, foodcheveuxmA1hairun cheveu = a single strand of hairdevoirmA1homeworkun devoir = an assignmentdevoirsmA1homeworkfaire ses devoirs = to do one's homeworkvêtementsmA1clothesun vêtement = clothes, clothingconseilmA2adviceun conseil, trois conseils = advice, piece of adviceinformationfA2informationune information, des informations = informationmeublemA2piece of furnitureun meuble = piece of furnituremeublesmA2furnituredes meubles = furniturenouvellefA2newsune bonne nouvelle = a piece of good newsactualitésfB1newsles actualités = the news; une actualité = a news itemarmurefB1armorune armure = a suit of armorbagagemB1luggageun bagage, deux bagages = luggage, baggagebijoumB1jewelun bijou = a piece of jewelrycomportementmB1behaviorun comportement = a behaviorconnaissancefB1knowledgedes connaissances = knowledgedéchetmB1garbageun déchet, des déchets = an item of waste, wasteéclairmB1lightningun éclair = a flash of lightninghébergementmB1accommodationtrouver un hébergement = to find accommodationinformationsfB1newsles informations sont à 20 h = the news is at 8 pminfosfB1newsregarder les infos = to watch the newslogementmB1accommodationun logement = a place to live; des logements = housinglogicielmB1softwareun logiciel = a program or software packagenouvellesfB1newsles nouvelles de 18 h = the 6 o'clock newsprogrèsmB1progressfaire des progrès = to make progressrecherchefB1researchune recherche = a piece of researchsous-vêtementmB1underwearun sous-vêtement = an undergarmentbagages à mainmB2carry-ondes bagages à main = carry-on, hand luggagebijouxmB2jewellerydes bijoux = jewelrycomméragemB2gossipun commérage, des commérages = a piece of gossip, gossipéquipementmB2equipmentun équipement = a piece of equipmentpotinmB2gossipun potin, des ragots = an item of gossippreuvefB2evidenceune preuve, des preuves = evidence, proofragotmB2gossipdes ragots = gossip; un ragot = a piece of gossipapplaudissementsmC1applausedes applaudissements = applausebien immobiliermC1real estateun bien immobilier = a propertybien immobiliermC1propertydes biens immobiliers = properties
Information and communication
Some of the most common uncountable English nouns relate to things we say and hear. In French, you do not need "a piece of" to count these concepts. You can simply use un conseil for advice, une information for information, and une nouvelle for news.
Elle m'a donné trois conseils utiles.
(She gave me three useful pieces of advice.)
J'ai lu une information intéressante sur ce site.
(I read an interesting piece of information on this site.)
J'ai une bonne nouvelle à t'annoncer.
(I have a good piece of news to tell you.)
This rule also applies to gossip. French offers several countable words for an item of gossip, such as un commérage, un potin, and un ragot.
Physical objects
English uses uncountable nouns for many groups of physical objects, such as luggage, furniture, software, garbage, jewelry, and equipment. French treats the individual items in these categories as normal countable nouns.
For instance, one item of furniture is un meuble, one computer program is un logiciel, and a single item of jewelry is un bijou.
Je voyage avec un seul bagage.
(I am traveling with a single piece of luggage.)
Ils ont acheté deux nouveaux meubles pour le salon.
(They bought two new pieces of furniture for the living room.)
Tu dois installer ce logiciel de sécurité.
(You must install this security software.)
You can also count an item of waste (un déchet), a single property in real estate (un bien immobilier), and a single piece of armor (une armure).
Clothing and the body
English treats words like clothes and underwear as plural categories, while hair is usually an uncountable noun. French breaks these down into individual items.
A single garment is un vêtement or un habit. An individual undergarment is un sous-vêtement. While hair in general is expressed with the plural cheveux, a single strand of hair is perfectly countable as un cheveu.
Il a acheté un nouveau vêtement d'hiver.
(He bought a new item of winter clothing.)
J'ai trouvé un cheveu dans ma soupe.
(I found a hair in my soup.)
Abstract concepts
A few abstract ideas that are uncountable in English take the plural form in French when you accumulate them. For example, to make progress is often phrased as making "progresses" (des progrès). Similarly, while homework is an uncountable noun in English, French students have to do their "homeworks" (devoirs, from the singular un devoir meaning a single assignment).
Evidence (une preuve) and research (une recherche) are also easily counted.
Elle a fait beaucoup de progrès cette année.
(She made a lot of progress this year.)
As-tu fini tes devoirs pour demain ?
(Have you finished your homework for tomorrow?)
La police a trouvé une preuve accablante.
(The police found a damning piece of evidence.)
Summary
When speaking French, do not be afraid to put un, une, or a number in front of words for advice, information, furniture, luggage, and news. Where English uses "a piece of", French simply counts the noun directly.
Uncountable in English, countable in French