Is « malade » masculine or feminine?

« malade » works as both masculine and feminine. You will see un malade and une malade, with the article carrying the meaning or agreeing with the person described.

Article forms

With the definite article le malade / la malade
With the indefinite article un malade / une malade
With the partitive article du malade / de la malade

Plural

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

Why the gender

malade ends in -ade. Nouns ending in -ade are usually feminine, though malade works as either gender. The full rules by ending cover every common suffix.

Related words

Other common nouns that end the same way:

Common questions

Is « malade » masculine or feminine?

« malade » works as both. You will see un malade and une malade, with the article carrying the meaning or agreeing with the person being described.

Is it « un malade » or « une malade »?

Both are correct. Use the masculine or the feminine depending on the sense or the person.


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