Is « femelle » masculine or feminine?

« femelle » is feminine. You say la femelle.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« femelle » is feminine. You say la femelle.

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

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


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