Is « obligation » masculine or feminine?

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

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

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

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

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


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