Is « département » masculine or feminine?

« département » is masculine. You say le département.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« département » is masculine. You say le département.

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

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


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