Is « sommeil » masculine or feminine?

« sommeil » is masculine. You say le sommeil.

Article forms

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

Plural

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

Why the gender

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

« sommeil » is masculine. You say le sommeil.

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

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


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