Is « caillou » masculine or feminine?

« caillou » is masculine. You say le caillou.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« caillou » is masculine. You say le caillou.

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

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


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