“Le” ou “la COVID” (male or female) – What is correct?

“le COVID” or “la COVID”? It’s essential to understand whether this term is female or male in French. This article clarifies the correct gender for “COVID” and why, helping you use it correctly in both spoken and written French.

La COVID (correct)

Le COVID (incorrect)

Understanding Gender Assignment for “COVID” in French

In French, every noun has a gender-either masculine or feminine-which determines the article used with it. Although COVID-19 is a recent term, French grammar rules and conventions offer guidance on its gender.

Preferred Form: “La COVID”

According to official recommendations from organizations such as the Académie française and Office québécois de la langue française, the preferred form is “la COVID”. Here’s why:

• “COVID” is an acronym for “COronaVIrus Disease”, with the “D” representing “disease” (maladie in French), a feminine noun.
• Because “maladie” (disease) is feminine in French, “COVID” is also treated as feminine to align with the implied noun.

Using “la COVID” is therefore recommended and considered grammatically accurate according to French language authorities.

Common Alternative: “Le COVID”

Despite the recommendation to use “la COVID”, many French speakers also use “le COVID”. This masculine form is widely heard, particularly in informal contexts, due to associations with other masculine virus names or simply out of habit.

Why “Le COVID” is Technically Incorrect

• Although “le COVID” is commonly used, it does not follow the grammatical recommendation to align with the gender of “maladie”.
• The use of “le” does not reflect the linguistic preference of formal institutions, although it has become widely accepted informally.

Why “La COVID” is the Grammatically Correct Form

The feminine article “la” is grammatically correct because COVID refers to a disease, making it appropriate to use the feminine form. For formal writing and official contexts, “la COVID” is generally preferred.

• Examples of other feminine health-related terms:
  • “La grippe” (the flu) – feminine.
  • “La fièvre” (fever) – feminine.
  • “La pneumonie” (pneumonia) – feminine.

These examples show the tendency to use feminine articles with disease names, supporting the use of “la COVID”.

Additional Examples of Health-Related Terms for Reference

Consider other feminine terms for illnesses or health conditions:

• “La varicelle” (chickenpox) – feminine.
• “La rougeole” (measles) – feminine.
• “La migraine” – feminine.

These examples emphasize the consistency of feminine articles with disease names, confirming that “la COVID” aligns with French grammatical standards.