A1 Spanish GrammarNoun Gender
Understand Spanish noun gender (masculine and feminine) and learn patterns to predict gender. Most nouns ending in -o are masculine and those ending in -a are feminine, with important exceptions.
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1Basic Gender Rules
Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine. Generally, nouns ending in -o are masculine (el libro) and those ending in -a are feminine (la casa). The article (el/la) must match the noun's gender.
Basic Endings
| Ending | Gender | Example | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| -o | masculine | libro | el libro |
| -a | feminine | casa | la casa |
| -e | varies | coche (m), clase (f) | check each |
| consonant | varies | país (m), ciudad (f) | check each |
Examples
El gato es negro.
The cat is black.
gato (-o) = masculine
La mesa es grande.
The table is big.
mesa (-a) = feminine
El coche es nuevo.
The car is new.
coche (-e) = masculine
La clase empieza a las nueve.
The class starts at nine.
clase (-e) = feminine
2Common Exceptions
Some common words don't follow the -o/-a rule. Words ending in -ma from Greek are masculine (el problema, el tema). La mano (hand) is feminine despite ending in -o. Learn these exceptions.
Important Exceptions
| Word | Gender | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el día | masculine | day | -ía, but masculine |
| la mano | feminine | hand | -o, but feminine |
| el problema | masculine | problem | Greek -ma words |
| el mapa | masculine | map | Greek origin |
| el tema | masculine | topic | Greek -ma words |
| la foto | feminine | photo | short for fotografía |
| la moto | feminine | motorcycle | short for motocicleta |
Examples
Tengo un problema.
I have a problem.
problema = masculine
Me duele la mano.
My hand hurts.
mano = feminine
¿Qué día es hoy?
What day is today?
día = masculine
Mi moto es roja.
My motorcycle is red.
moto = feminine (short form)
3Gender Patterns by Ending
Certain endings reliably indicate gender. Words ending in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -ez are feminine. Words ending in -or, -aje are masculine. These patterns help with unfamiliar words.
Reliable Gender Endings
| Ending | Gender | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -ción | feminine | información, nación, estación |
| -sión | feminine | televisión, decisión |
| -dad | feminine | ciudad, universidad, verdad |
| -tad | feminine | libertad, dificultad |
| -or | masculine | color, amor, calor |
| -aje | masculine | viaje, garaje, mensaje |
Examples
La información es importante.
The information is important.
-ción = feminine
¿Cuál es tu nacionalidad?
What is your nationality?
-dad = feminine
El viaje fue largo.
The trip was long.
-aje = masculine
Hace mucho calor.
It's very hot.
-or = masculine
4People and Professions
For people, gender usually matches biological sex. Many professions have both forms: profesor/profesora, doctor/doctora. Some have one form for both: el/la estudiante, el/la artista.
People and Professions
| Masculine | Feminine | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| el profesor | la profesora | teacher |
| el doctor | la doctora | doctor |
| el estudiante | la estudiante | student |
| el artista | la artista | artist |
| el niño | la niña | child/boy/girl |
| el actor | la actriz | actor/actress |
Examples
Mi profesora es muy buena.
My teacher (f) is very good.
profesora for female
El estudiante estudia mucho.
The student (m) studies a lot.
same word, article shows gender
La actriz es famosa.
The actress is famous.
actriz = feminine form
Ella es médica.
She is a doctor.
médica for female doctor
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
What article goes with 'libro' (book)?
What article goes with 'problema' (problem)?
What article goes with 'mano' (hand)?
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