“Mode” is a French noun that can either be masculine or feminine. Its meaning changes depending on whether it is the masculine version of the noun or the feminine version. In its masculine form, it means “mode” or “way.” In the feminine, it means “fashion.” So you can remember the difference by remembering that women are generally more interested in fashion than men.

Le mode

Le mode means “way,” “mode,” “method” or “mood.” Examples include “mode de paiement” (method of payment), “mode de transport” (mode of transport), “mode de vie” (way of life) and “mode de gouvernement” (mode of government). It can also mean “mood,” but in a linguistic sense, not an emotional sense. The indicative, imperative, conditional and subjunctive are all different “moods” of verbs that express, respectively: certainty, command, probability and uncertainty. And “le mode” can also refer to musical modes such as the Aeolian, Mixolydian and Dorian modes, which different from the major and minor musical scales used by more recent Western music.

La mode

La mode means “fashion,” or “trend” or “fad.” “C’est la mode” means “it’s the fashion.” “Une mode passagère” means “a fad.” The expression “à la mode” means “fashionable” or “in fashion.” “La mode” can also refer to the fashion industry as a whole, as in “elle travaille dans la mode” (she works in the fashion industry).