Is « explication » masculine or feminine?

« explication » is feminine. You say l'explication.

Article forms

With the definite article l'explication
With the indefinite article une explication
With the partitive article de l'explication

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« explication » is feminine. You say l'explication.

« l'explication » hides the gender. Is « explication » masculine or feminine?

It is feminine. The article shortens to « l'explication » for both genders, but you say une explication, not un explication, and adjectives take the feminine form.


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