'un cartable' is a masculine noun in French.
un cartable
male
The French word "chaussures" is plural and feminine.
Old French word "femelle" which meant "woman." The word "female" is not related to the word "male."
un drapeaumasculine
"protecteur" (if male); "protectrice" (if female)
un boisson
Masculine, "un chapeau".
They are female. So you would say "La" in front of the word.
In French, the word "chat" can be both male and female, as it is a gender-neutral term. To specify a male cat, you can use the word "chat" for the general term, or you can say "chat mΓ’le" which specifically means a male cat.
un pharmacien (male) une pharmacienne (female)
male companion = copain female companion = copine