Is « absence » masculine or feminine?
« absence » is feminine. You say l'absence.
Article forms
| With the definite article | l'absence |
| With the indefinite article | une absence |
| With the partitive article | de l'absence |
Plural
The plural is absences (les absences). A noun keeps its gender in the plural; only the article stops showing it.
Why the gender
absence ends in
-ence. Nouns ending in
-ence are usually feminine,
so absence 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 « absence » masculine or feminine?
« absence » is feminine. You say l'absence.
« l'absence » hides the gender. Is « absence » masculine or feminine?
It is feminine. The article shortens to « l'absence » for both genders, but you say une absence, not un absence, and adjectives take the feminine form.
Check another word, or read the complete guide to French noun gender.