Is « essence » masculine or feminine?
« essence » is feminine. You say l'essence.
Article forms
| With the definite article | l'essence |
| With the indefinite article | une essence |
| With the partitive article | de l'essence |
Plural
The plural is essences (les essences). A noun keeps its gender in the plural; only the article stops showing it.
Why the gender
essence ends in
-ence. Nouns ending in
-ence are usually feminine,
so essence 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 « essence » masculine or feminine?
« essence » is feminine. You say l'essence.
« l'essence » hides the gender. Is « essence » masculine or feminine?
It is feminine. The article shortens to « l'essence » for both genders, but you say une essence, not un essence, and adjectives take the feminine form.
Check another word, or read the complete guide to French noun gender.