Gender agreement is a grammatical rule found in many languages, requiring that words connected in a sentence match in gender. This means that nouns, adjectives, articles, and sometimes verbs must all reflect the same gender, ensuring cohesion and clarity in communication.
- Gender agreement ties together the grammatical genders of related words in a sentence.
- It applies to nouns, adjectives, articles, and sometimes verbs, depending on the language.
- Ensures sentences are cohesive and clear by matching gender across word forms.
Gender agreement is matching the gender of related words in a sentence.
Gender agreement is most commonly applied to nouns, adjectives, and articles.
Gender agreement ensures clarity and cohesion in sentences.
No, English does not have gender agreement in the same way.
Languages like French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Russian use gender agreement.
How Gender Agreement Works
In languages with gender agreement, when a noun is identified as masculine or feminine, all other words that describe or relate to that noun must adopt the corresponding gender forms.
- The gender of the noun sets the agreement for related words.
- Adjectives and articles change their endings or forms to match the noun's gender.
- In some languages, even numbers and pronouns must agree in gender.
The gender of the noun determines the agreement.
Articles, adjectives, and sometimes pronouns and verbs change for gender agreement.
Associated words take feminine forms.
Matching number is also required.
Yes, in some languages like Spanish and French, verbs can reflect gender.
Examples of Gender Agreement
Spanish
- Noun: niño (boy, masculine), niña (girl, feminine)
- Article: el (masc. sing.), la (fem. sing.)
- Adjective: inteligente (same form for masc. and fem., but changes for plural: inteligentes vs. inteligentes)
| Subject | Article + Noun | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| Boy (masc.) | El niño | inteligente |
| Girl (fem.) | La niña | inteligente |
For plural...
| Subject | Article + Noun | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| Boys (masc. or mixed) | Los niños | inteligentes |
| Girls (fem.) | Las niñas | inteligentes |
Spanish uses 'niño' for masculine and 'niña' for feminine.
'La niña inteligente' is correct.
French
- Noun: ami (friend, masculine), amie (friend, feminine)
- Article: le (masc. sing.), la (fem. sing.)
- Adjective: petit (masc.), petite (fem.)
| Subject | Article + Noun | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| Friend (masc.) | Le ami | petit |
| Friend (fem.) | La amie | petite |
For plural...
| Subject | Article + Noun | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| Friends (masc.) | Les amis | petits |
| Friends (fem.) | Les amies | petites |
Le (masc.) and La (fem.)
Masculine is 'petit', feminine is 'petite'.
German
- Noun: Hund (dog, masculine), Katze (cat, feminine)
- Article: der (masc.), die (fem.), das (neut.)
- Adjective: groß (big) with endings changing by gender and case (e.g., der große Hund, die große Katze)
| Subject | Article + Noun | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| Dog (masc.) | Der Hund | große |
| Cat (fem.) | Die Katze | große |
der (masc.), die (fem.), das (neut.)
'Der große Hund' is correct.
'Katze' is feminine.
Exercises
- Match these Spanish words with their correct articles and adjective forms for 'intelligent' (fill in blanks):
a) niño (intelligent)
b) niña (intelligent)
c) niños (intelligent)
d) niñas (intelligent)
- Provide the French article and adjective for a masculine and feminine 'small friend' (singular).
- What are the German articles for:
a) Dog (Hund)
b) Cat (Katze)
c) Bird (Vogel) [Hint: Vogel is masculine]
Conclusion
Gender agreement is essential for grammatical accuracy and clarity in languages that have gendered word forms. It ensures that all related words in a sentence are harmonized, making communication more precise and elegant.
- Gender agreement matches the gender (and often number) of nouns with adjectives, articles, and more.
- It is vital in languages like Spanish, French, German, and others with grammatical gender.
- Mastery of gender agreement improves both understanding and expression in these languages.