Is « orphelin » masculine or feminine?
« orphelin » is masculine. You say l'orphelin.
Article forms
| With the definite article | l'orphelin |
| With the indefinite article | un orphelin |
| With the partitive article | de l'orphelin |
Plural
The plural is orphelins (les orphelins). A noun keeps its gender in the plural; only the article stops showing it.
Why the gender
orphelin ends in
-in. Nouns ending in
-in are usually masculine,
so orphelin 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 « orphelin » masculine or feminine?
« orphelin » is masculine. You say l'orphelin.
« l'orphelin » hides the gender. Is « orphelin » masculine or feminine?
It is masculine. The article shortens to « l'orphelin » for both genders, but you say un orphelin, not une orphelin, and adjectives take the masculine form.
Check another word, or read the complete guide to French noun gender.