Is « échec » masculine or feminine?

« échec » is masculine. You say l'échec.

Article forms

With the definite article l'échec
With the indefinite article un échec
With the partitive article de l'échec

Plural

The plural is échecs (les échecs). A noun keeps its gender in the plural; only the article stops showing it.

Common questions

Is « échec » masculine or feminine?

« échec » is masculine. You say l'échec.

« l'échec » hides the gender. Is « échec » masculine or feminine?

It is masculine. The article shortens to « l'échec » for both genders, but you say un échec, not une échec, and adjectives take the masculine form.


Check another word, or read the complete guide to French noun gender.