Is « allumette » masculine or feminine?

« allumette » is feminine. You say l'allumette.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

allumette ends in -ette. Nouns ending in -ette are usually feminine, so allumette 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 « allumette » masculine or feminine?

« allumette » is feminine. You say l'allumette.

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

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


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