Is « instrument » masculine or feminine?

« instrument » is masculine. You say l'instrument.

Article forms

With the definite article l'instrument
With the indefinite article un instrument
With the partitive article de l'instrument

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« instrument » is masculine. You say l'instrument.

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

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


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