Is « épée » masculine or feminine?

« épée » is feminine. You say l'épée.

Article forms

With the definite article l'épée
With the indefinite article une épée
With the partitive article de l'épée

Plural

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

Why the gender

épée ends in -ée. Nouns ending in -ée are usually feminine, so épée follows the pattern. The full rules by ending cover every common suffix.

Related words

Other common nouns that end the same way:

Common questions

Is « épée » masculine or feminine?

« épée » is feminine. You say l'épée.

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

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


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