Gender of Spanish nouns
Spanish nouns are either masculine or
feminine. There is no neuter gender noun. The typical rules you can lean on and
the exceptions you should be aware of are listed here.
Articles
Masculine nouns have the article "el"
in singular form and the article "los" in plural.
Feminine nouns have the article "la"
in singular form and the article "las" in plural.
When a plural includes both masculine and
feminine elements, the masculine noun is used with the article "los"
(for example: parents are "los padres", children are "los
ni–os" or "los hijos").
Feminine nouns
Generally nouns ending in
"-a"
la fruta, la mesa, la palabra
See Masculine for exceptions!
Nouns ending in "-dad" /
"-tad" / "-tud"
- la
ciudad, la edad, la universidad
- la
amistad, la facultad, la libertad
- la
inquietud, la juventud, la virtud
Nouns ending in "-ci—n" /
"-si—n" / "-gi—n"
- la
canci—n, la estaci—n, la lecci—n
- la
profesi—n, la televisi—n, la tensi—n
- la
legi—n, la regi—n, la religi—n
Nouns ending in "-ez", as long as they refer to abstract nouns formed with
suffixes
- la
rigidez -- rigidity
- la
sensatez -- soberness
- la
validez -- validity
- la
vejez -- old age, oldness
Nouns ending in "-triz"
la actriz, la directriz, la emperatriz
Nouns ending in "-umbre"
la costumbre, la incertidumbre, la legumbre
Shortened version of originally
feminine nouns
- la
disco -- la discoteca*
- la
foto -- la fotograf’a
- la
moto -- la motocicleta
- la
tele -- la televisi—n
* but when it refers to a disk,
it's el disco
Nouns referring to women
- la
madre -- mother
- la
mujer -- woman, wife
Exceptions
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ending in
"-d"
- la merced -- mercy
- la pared -- wall
- la red -- net
- la salud -- health
- la sed -- thirst
ending in
"-z"
- la cruz -- cross
- la faz -- face
- la luz -- light
- la nariz -- nose
- la nuez -- nut
- la paz -- peace
- la ra’z -- root
- la vez -- time, turn
- la voz -- voice
other
- la filial -- affiliate
- la flor -- flower
- la imagen -- image
- la ley -- law
- la mano -- hand
- la miel -- honey
- la piel -- skin
- la sal -- salt
- la tribu -- tribe
|
ending in
"-e"
- la base -- basis
- la calle -- street
- la carne -- meat
- la clase -- class
- la clave -- clue
- la corriente -- current
- la fe -- faith
- la fiebre -- fever
- la frase -- saying, phrase
- la fuente -- source
- la gente -- people (!)
- la leche -- milk
- la lente -- lens
- la llave -- key
- la mente -- mind
- la muerte -- death
- la nieve -- snow
- la noche -- night, evening
- la nube -- cloud
- la sangre -- blood
- la sede -- headquarters
- la serpiente -- snake
- la suerte -- fate, luck
- la tarde -- afternoon
- la torre -- tower
|
Masculine
In broad generality, all nouns not fitting
into the above categories and exceptions - plus the following.
Nouns of Greek origin, ending in
"-ma" / "-ta" / "-pa"
- el
clima, el programa, el tema
- el
cometa, el planeta (but to confuse you: la dieta :-))
- el
mapa
Exceptions
- el
d’a (el mediod’a) -- day, daytime (noon)
- el
gorila -- gorilla
- el
pijama -- pajamas
- el
sof‡ -- sofa
- el
tranv’a -- tram, streetcar
- el
yoga -- yoga
Different gender, different meaning
Some words can be used as either feminine or
masculine but this will change their meaning. Some examples:
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|
|
masculine
|
feminine
|
|
capital
c—lera
coma
corte
cura
final
frente
orden
papa
parte
pendiente
pez
|
|
capital
cholera
coma
cut
priest
ending
front
order
pope
message, report
earring
fish
|
capital city
bile, anger
comma
court
cure
sports final
forehead
decree, holy order
potato
part, portion
slope, hillside
tar, pitch
|
Different gender, same meaning
Certain nouns, usually referring to people,
can be used in the same meaning as either feminine or masculine, depending on
who you refer to.
- nouns
ending in "-ista" (artista, florista, jurista)
- nouns
ending in "-crata" (arist—crata, tecn—crata)
- amante
-- lover
- cliente
-- client
- gu’a
-- guide
- idiota
-- idiot
- modelo
-- model
- soprano
- testigo
-- witness
Feminine nouns with the article
"el"
When a feminine noun begins with a stressed
"a-" or "ha-" syllable, its singular form will have an
"el" instead of "la" (and "un" instead of
"una" as an indefinite article). In plural, it's back to normal.
- el
agua, el alma, el asma
- el
habla, el hada, el hambre*
* doubly irregular: a noun ending in
"-e" with the article "el" - and still feminine :-)