Spanish Noun Gender
Every Spanish noun has a grammatical gender - it's either masculine or feminine. This isn't related to biological sex; it's a grammatical property that affects the articles, adjectives, and pronouns used with the noun.
Understanding noun gender is essential because it determines which articles and adjective forms to use. While there are patterns, some nouns must be memorized with their gender.
Masculine Nouns (-o endings)
Most nouns ending in -o are masculine and use el (the) and un (a/an):
el libro
the book
un carro
a car
el dinero
the money
Feminine Nouns (-a endings)
Most nouns ending in -a are feminine and use la (the) and una (a/an):
la mesa
the table
una casa
a house
la ventana
the window
Important Exceptions
Some common nouns don't follow the typical patterns:
el problema
the problem (masculine despite -a ending)
la mano
the hand (feminine despite -o ending)
el día
the day (masculine despite -a ending)
Other Gender Patterns
Additional patterns to help determine gender:
Usually Masculine:
- Nouns ending in -ma (el problema, el tema, el sistema)
- Days of the week (el lunes, el martes)
- Months (el enero, el febrero)
- Colors used as nouns (el azul, el rojo)
Usually Feminine:
- Nouns ending in -ión (la acción, la nación)
- Nouns ending in -dad (la ciudad, la verdad)
- Nouns ending in -tad (la libertad, la dificultad)
el sistema educativo
the educational system
la información importante
the important information
la ciudad grande
the big city
Plural Formation
Spanish nouns form their plurals following specific rules based on how the singular form ends. Understanding these patterns will help you form plurals correctly.
Nouns ending in vowels
Nouns ending in -a, -e, -i, -o, or -u simply add -s:
la mesa → las mesas
the table → the tables
el coche → los coches
the car → the cars
el libro → los libros
the book → the books
Nouns ending in consonants
Nouns ending in consonants (except -s) add -es:
el profesor → los profesores
the teacher → the teachers
la ciudad → las ciudades
the city → the cities
el animal → los animales
the animal → the animals
Nouns ending in -z
Nouns ending in -z change -z to -c and add -es:
el lápiz → los lápices
the pencil → the pencils
la actriz → las actrices
the actress → the actresses
la luz → las luces
the light → the lights
Special Cases
Some nouns have special plural formation rules:
Nouns ending in -ión lose the accent:
- la nación → las naciones
- la información → las informaciones
Some nouns don't change in plural:
- Words ending in -s (if stressed on non-final syllable): el lunes → los lunes
- Some family names: los García, los López
la canción → las canciones
the song → the songs
el lunes → los lunes
Monday → Mondays
Article Agreement
Spanish articles must agree with the gender and number of the noun they accompany. This is fundamental to Spanish grammar.
Definite Articles (the)
The definite articles in Spanish change based on the gender and number of the noun:
Definite Articles
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | el | the (masc. sing.) |
| Feminine singular | la | the (fem. sing.) |
| Masculine plural | los | the (masc. pl.) |
| Feminine plural | las | the (fem. pl.) |
el perro → los perros
the dog → the dogs
la gata → las gatas
the cat → the cats
Indefinite Articles (a/an)
The indefinite articles also agree with gender and number:
Indefinite Articles
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | un | a/an (masc. sing.) |
| Feminine singular | una | a/an (fem. sing.) |
| Masculine plural | unos | some (masc. pl.) |
| Feminine plural | unas | some (fem. pl.) |
un coche → unos coches
a car → some cars
una flor → unas flores
a flower → some flowers
Common Patterns and Tips
Learning these patterns will help you predict noun gender and form plurals correctly:
Examples
Problema, tema, sistema (masculine -ma words)
Problem, theme, system (masculine -ma words)
Información, educación, nación (feminine -ión words)
Information, education, nation (feminine -ión words)
Ciudad, verdad, libertad (feminine -dad words)
City, truth, freedom (feminine -dad words)