Is « bourreau » masculine or feminine?

« bourreau » is masculine. You say le bourreau.

Article forms

With the definite article le bourreau
With the indefinite article un bourreau
With the partitive article du bourreau

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« bourreau » is masculine. You say le bourreau.

Is it « la bourreau » or « le bourreau »?

It is « le bourreau ». « la bourreau » is incorrect.


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