Is « paille » masculine or feminine?

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

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

paille ends in -aille. Nouns ending in -aille are usually feminine, though paille 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 « paille » masculine or feminine?

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

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

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.