Is « pain » masculine or feminine?

« pain » is masculine. You say le pain.

Article forms

With the definite article le pain
With the indefinite article un pain
With the partitive article du pain

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« pain » is masculine. You say le pain.

Is it « la pain » or « le pain »?

It is « le pain ». « la pain » is incorrect.


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