Is « couteau » masculine or feminine?

« couteau » is masculine. You say le couteau.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« couteau » is masculine. You say le couteau.

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

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


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