Is « original » masculine or feminine?

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

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

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

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

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


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