Is problème masculine or feminine in French?
Problème is masculine: le problème, un problème, un grand problème. The plural is les problèmes. Any adjective agrees in the masculine: un problème sérieux, never une problème sérieuse. It is one of the most frequently mis-gendered words in French because its final -e looks feminine.
Why is problème masculine when it ends in -e?
A final -e is loosely associated with feminine nouns, so learners expect la problème. In fact, words ending in -ème and -ème-type endings borrowed from Greek are almost all masculine: le problème, le thème, le système, le poème, le théorème. They entered French from Greek neuter nouns and settled as masculine. So the -e here is misleading: the deeper pattern is the Greek -ème / -ème family, which is a reliable masculine group. Learning that whole set at once turns several common exam words from guesses into certainties.
How do you use problème in a sentence?
These keep the masculine agreement visible:
Preply
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- C’est un problème compliqué. (It’s a complicated problem.)
- Le problème principal, c’est le temps. (The main problem is time.)
- Nous avons résolu tous les problèmes. (We solved all the problems.)
The mistake learners make with problème
The classic error is une problème or la problème, followed by a feminine adjective: une problème importante. It should be un problème important. Pair problème with its Greek-origin cousins — le système, le thème — and the masculine gender will start to feel automatic.
When you are unsure of any noun’s gender while writing — in a TCF message, a DELF letter, or everyday French — verify it before you commit it to the page. The French Gender Checker returns the correct article, the plural, and the rule behind the gender for any noun in a single lookup, so a word like problème is never a guess again.
