Is « pingouin » masculine or feminine?

« pingouin » is masculine. You say le pingouin.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« pingouin » is masculine. You say le pingouin.

Is it « la pingouin » or « le pingouin »?

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


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