Is « commencement » masculine or feminine?

« commencement » is masculine. You say le commencement.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« commencement » is masculine. You say le commencement.

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

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


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