Is « difficulté » masculine or feminine?

« difficulté » is feminine. You say la difficulté.

Article forms

With the definite article la difficulté
With the indefinite article une difficulté
With the partitive article de la difficulté

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« difficulté » is feminine. You say la difficulté.

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

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


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