Is « intelligence » masculine or feminine?

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

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

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

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

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


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