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Gender of Nouns: Part I

Notes:
1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

A noun is a word used to denote a person, place, thing, or idea.

Person: John, girl, dentist
Place: garden, university, Venezuela
Thing: book, car, tomato
Idea: liberty, despair, intelligence

In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine.

Masculine Feminine

el chico la chica

boy girl

el jardín la universidad

garden university

el libro la revista

book magazine

el miedo la libertad
fear liberty

The idea that nouns have gender seems perfectly natural when the noun stands for
a living creature. This is because in English, living creatures often have different
names, depending upon whether they are male or female.

Masculine Feminine

man woman

tiger tigress

aviator aviatrix

The following Spanish nouns all denote living creatures.

el gato
male cat
la gata
female cat
el perro
male dog
la perra
female dog
el chico
boy
la chica
girl
el abuelo
grandfather
la abuela
grandmother

How are all of these masculine nouns alike?

el gato
el perro
el chico
el abuelo
Hint: look at both the beginning and the ending of each line.

How are all of these feminine nouns alike?

la gata
la perra
la chica
la abuela
Hint: look at both the beginning and the ending of each line.

"El" and "la" both mean "the."

el chico (the boy)
la chica (the girl)
el perro (the male dog)
la gata (the female cat)
Note: These two words (el, la) are called "definite articles." You will learn more
about them in a later lesson.

What do you notice about the last letter of these nouns?

Masculine Feminine

gato gata

perro perra

chico chica

abuelo abuela
Nouns that end in -o are usually masculine. Nouns that end in -a are usually
feminine. Notice the word usually! There are exceptions to these two rules and you
will soon be learning them.

One cannot predict the gender of a noun that stands for a non-living thing. Try to
predict whether the Spanish words for the following things are masculine or
feminine:
Masculine or feminine?
book
house
money
window
One cannot predict the gender of a noun, except in the case of living creatures. Do
not try to analyze the nature of the object, looking for some inherent masculinity or
femininity. It won't work!

Take a guess. Do you think the Spanish word for "dress" is masculine or feminine?
You might expect it to be feminine, since a dress is an article of clothing worn by
females.
Actually, the word for "dress" is a masculine word:
el vestido

Take another guess. Do you think the Spanish word for "necktie" is masculine or
feminine? You might expect it to be masculine, since a necktie is an article of
clothing worn by males.
Actually, the word for "necktie" is a feminine word:
la corbata

When you learn a new noun, you should also learn its definite article (el, la). There
are several reasons for this:
• Because you cannot predict the gender of most nouns.
• Because not every noun that ends in -o is masculine, and not every noun that
ends in -a is feminine.
• Because many nouns end in letters other than o or a.
 • Because the definite article (el, la) is your clue as to whether a noun is
masculine or feminine.

Gender of Nouns: Part II

Notes:
1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form
that ends in -a.
el profesor
la profesora
el doctor
la doctora
el señor
la señora

Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and
feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).
el estudiante
la estudiante
el pianista
la pianista
el artista
la artista

Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.
la televisión
la decisión
la conversación
la habitación
la ciudad
la universidad
la dificultad
la libertad
la actitud
la gratitud
la certidumbre
la muchedumbre

Some nouns that end in -a are masculine.

el problema
el telegrama
el programa
el mapa
el sistema
el poema
el día
el tema
el clima
el idioma
el sofá
el planeta

Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine. Notice that eight of the twelve nouns
listed above end in -ma.
el telegrama
el programa
el problema
el sistema
el poema
el idioma
el clima
el tema
Note: A few nouns that end in -ma are feminine, such as la cama and la pluma.

Four of the nouns that end in -a are simply exceptions and must be memorized.
el día
el mapa
el planeta
el sofá
A few nouns that end in -o are feminine.
la mano
la radio

Review of the rules learned in lesson 1 and lesson 2.

• Many nouns that denote living things have both a masculine and a feminine
form.
• Most nouns that end in -o are masculine.
• Most nouns that end in -a are feminine.
• Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine
form that ends in -a.
• Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and
feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).
• Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.
• Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine.
• A few nouns that end in -o are feminine
You now know most of the rules for determining the gender of a noun. There are
just a few more things to know, but they won't be covered until later. Remember,
whenever you learn a new noun, learn it complete with its definite article (el, la).
Definite articles are the subject of an upcoming lesson.

Plural Forms of Nouns

Notes:
1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

If a noun ends in a vowel, make it plural by adding -s.

libro: libros
(libro + s)
pluma: plumas
(pluma + s)
chico: chicos
(chico + s)
señora: señoras
(señora + s)

The definite articles (el, la) also change in the plural form. They become "los" and
"las." The definite articles will be covered in depth in the next lesson.
el libro: los libros
la pluma: las plumas
el chico: los chicos
la señora: las señoras

If a noun ends in a consonant, make it plural by adding -es.

el borrador: los borradores
(borrador + es)
la universidad: las universidades
(universidad + es)
el profesor: los profesores
(profesor + es)
la ciudad: las ciudades
(ciudad + es)

If a noun ends in -ión, add -es and drop the written accent.
el avión: los aviones
la conversación: las conversaciones
la sección: las secciones
la televisión: las televisiones
Note: You may wonder why "avión" isn't feminine. Notice that it doesn't qualify for
our rule which says that all nouns ending in -ción and sión are feminine.

If a noun ends in -z, add -es and change the z to c.

el lápiz: los lápices
la voz: las voces
el tapiz: los tapices
la actriz: las actrices

When the plural refers to two or more nouns of different genders, the masculine
plural is used.
2 perros + 6 perras = 8 perros (not perras)
1 gato + 8 gatas = 9 gatos (not gatas)
A few nouns are "compound nouns," that is, they are formed by combining two
words into one.
(Example: abre + latas = abrelatas / open + cans = can opener)

These compound nouns are always masculine, and the plural is formed by changing
the "el" to "los."
el abrelatas
los abrelatas
el paraguas
los paraguas

Let's review the rules for making nouns plural.

• If a noun ends in a vowel, simply add -s.
• If a noun ends in a consonant, simply add -es.
• If a noun ends in a -z, change the z to c before adding -es.
• If a noun ends in ión, drop the written accent before adding -es.
• If the plural refers to a mixed group, use the masculine.
• For compound nouns, change "el" to "los".

Definite and Indefinite Articles: Part I

Notes:
1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The difference between definite articles and indefinite articles can be observed in
the following two sentences:
Give me the chocolate chip cookie.
Give me a cookie, please.

Imagine a plate full of cookies. There are peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies,
gingerbread cookies, and one chocolate chip cookie.
The first sentence speaks of a particular (or definite) cookie:
Give me the chocolate chip cookie.

The second sentence speaks of any of a number of cookies (or an indefinite

cookie):
Give me a cookie, please.

The difference between the definite and indefinite articles is the difference between
talking about a specific cookie, or any old cookie at all.
the cookie
a cookie

In English, the definite article is the word "the" regardless of whether the noun it
introduces is singular or plural.
the cookie
the cookies

In Spanish, the definite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is
masculine, feminine, singular or plural.
el gato
the male cat
los gatos
the male cats
la gata
the female cat
las gatas
the female cats
Note: The masculine plural definite and indefinite articles (los, unos) are also used
to indicate a group of mixed sex. Thus, "los gatos" could refer to a group of 10 male
cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.
The 4 forms of the definite article are:
el
masculine singular
la
feminine singular
los
masculine plural
las
feminine plural

In English, the indefinite article is the word "a," "an," or "some."

a cookie
an apple
some books

In Spanish, the indefinite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is
masculine, feminine, singular or plural.
un gato
a male cat
unos gatos
some male cats
una gata
a female cat
unas gatas
some female cats
Note: Remember, as long as the group of creatures has at least one male member,
the masculine plural article is used. Thus, "unos gatos" could refer to a group of 10
male cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.

The 4 forms of the indefinite article are:

un
masculine singular
una
feminine singular
unos
masculine plural
unas
feminine plural

Here are the definite and indefinite articles together:

el, un
masculine singular
la, una
feminine singular
los, unos
masculine plural
las, unas
feminine plural

Each of the following has a different meaning:

el gato
the male cat
los gatos
the male cats (or a mixed group)
la gata
the female cat
las gatas
the female cats
un gato
a male cat
unos gatos
some male cats (or a mixed group)
una gata
a female cat
unas gatas
some female cats

"Un" and "una" can mean "one," "a," or "an."

un libro
one book, a book
una pluma
one pen, a pen
una manzana
one apple, an apple
Subject Pronouns
Notes:
1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

A verb is an action word.

run
sit
eat
sink
swim
study

The main form of a verb is called the infinitive. In English, infinitives include the word
"to."
to run
to sit
to eat
to sink
to swim
to study

The infinitive is the pure form of a verb. The infinitive is like a lump of clay that can
be molded to match the subject of the sentence it is used in:
I speak
you speak
he/she speaks
we speak
you-all* speak
they speak
Note: The above forms are called conjugations of the infinitive "to speak."

Regarding the form "you-all" -- this usage is not considered to be standard English.
In standard English, the same word is used for both the singular you and the plural
you. That is, each of the following is correct:
You have a tail light out, ma'am.
You (kids) have soccer practice at four.

In the first sentence, "you" refers to the singular "ma'am." In the second sentence,
"you" refers to the plural "kids." To avoid confusion between you (singular) and you
(plural), we will employ the non-standard English usage "you-all" to indicate you
(plural). This will be very beneficial to y'all, particularly at the beginning of your
studies.

The words "I" "you" "he" "she" "we" "you-all" and "they" are called subject pronouns.
Spanish has corresponding subject pronouns. Here's a list of the English subject
pronouns and their Spanish equivalents:
yo
I
usted
you
él
he
ella
she
nosotros
we
ustedes
you-all
ellos
they

Spanish subject pronouns are both similar to and different from their English
counterparts. Let's examine some of the differences. Look more closely at the
English word "you."
You have just seen that this can be translated into Spanish as "usted." But there is
also a second way it can be translated. There are two ways the English word "you"
can be expressed in Spanish:
usted
you
tú
you
Spanish has a formal and an informal form of the word "you." "Usted" is more formal
and is generally used to express respect. "Tú" is more familiar and is used among
friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child.
Speaking to your boss: usted
Speaking to your daughter: tú
Speaking to your teacher: usted
Speaking to your friend: tú
usted = you formal
tú = you informal (familiar)

This same distinction with regard to degree of formality occurs in the plural form as
well. When referring to "you-all," there are two choices in Spanish:
ustedes
you-all formal
vosotros
you-all familiar

Once again, the difference lies in the degree of formality conveyed by the speaker.
However, the vosotros form is used primarily in Spain. Throughout Latin America,
"ustedes" is generally used in both formal and informal situations to refer to "you-
all."
Speaking to a group of children
(in Spain): vosotros
Speaking to a group of children
(in Latin America): ustedes
Speaking to a group of strangers
(in Spain): ustedes
Speaking to a group of strangers
(in Latin America): ustedes
Note: usted can be abbreviated Ud. or Vd. ; ustedes can be
abbreviated Uds. or Vds.
In many ways, Spanish is more gender-specific than English. We find evidence of
this in the subject pronouns. First, look at the word "nosotros." This means "we" in
the sense of a group containing at least one male. If the group contains only
females, the word "nosotras" is used. So, in Spanish, there are two ways to say
"we":
nosotros
we (masculine or mixed group)
nosotras
we (feminine)

This same idea applies to the English word "they":

ellos
they (masculine or mixed group)
ellas
they (feminine)

This same idea also applies to the "vosotros" form:

vosotros
you-all familiar (masculine or mixed group)
vosotras
you-all familiar (feminine)
Note: These forms are used primarily in Spain, not Latin America.

Finally, don't get confused over the difference between talking toa group or
talking about a group. Consider the following statement, which could have been
made by your Spanish teacher, while standing before the class:
"You-all need to study your Spanish. Those students in the other class don't need to
study Spanish. They are studying French. You-all can practice Spanish in Spain.
They can practice French in France."

The teacher is talking to the Spanish students and about the French students.
Talking to a group, use "you-all":
ustedes
vosotros
vosotras
Talking about a group, use "they":
ellos
ellas

Here's the complete list of Spanish subject pronouns:

Singular
yo - I
tú - you (familiar)
él - he
ella - she
usted - you (formal)
Plural
nosotros
we (masculine or mixed gender)
nosotras
we (feminine)
vosotros
you-all (familiar, Spain, masculine or mixed gender)
vosotras
you-all (familiar, Spain, feminine)
ellos
they (masculine or mixed gender)
ellas
they (feminine)
ustedes
you-all (formal in Spain, formal and familiar in Latin America)