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Gender

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Gender in Spanish grammar refers to the classification of nouns and related words as masculine or feminine, affecting article and adjective agreement.

Spanish nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine, which affects the form of other words in the sentence (like articles and adjectives). This system is grammatical and doesn’t always match biological gender. Understanding noun endings and agreement rules is key to mastering Spanish grammar.
  • All nouns have a gender: masculine or feminine
  • Gender affects articles (e.g., el vs. la), adjectives, and pronouns
  • Most nouns ending in -o are masculine, -a are feminine, but there are exceptions

Noun Endings

Spanish nouns often follow patterns based on their endings, though there are exceptions.
  • Masculine Endings:
    • -o (e.g., libro* — book)
    • -ma (e.g., problema* — problem)
    • -or (e.g., doctor* — doctor)
  • Feminine Endings:
    • -a (e.g., casa* — house)
    • -ción (e.g., nación* — nation)
    • -sión (e.g., televisión* — television)
    • -dad (e.g., ciudad* — city)
    • -tad (e.g., amistad* — friendship)

In Spanish, which noun ending is usually masculine?


-o
Most Spanish nouns ending in '-o' are masculine, while endings like '-a', '-ción', and '-dad' are typically feminine.

Article Agreement

Articles change based on the noun’s gender and number.
  • Masculine:
    • Singular: el (e.g., el libro)
    • Plural: los (e.g., los libros)
  • Feminine:
    • Singular: la (e.g., la casa)
    • Plural: las (e.g., las casas)

How do you say 'the books' in Spanish?


los libros
'Libros' is masculine plural, so the correct article is 'los'.

Adjective Agreement

Adjectives must match the noun’s gender and number.
  • Masculine singular: -o (e.g., libro rojo)
  • Feminine singular: -a (e.g., casa roja)
  • Plural: add -s or -es (e.g., libros rojos, casas rojas)

Exceptions and Irregularities

Some nouns don’t follow typical gender rules.
  • Nouns ending in -a that are masculine: el mapa, *el día
  • Nouns referring to people may have separate masculine and feminine forms:
    • el profesor / la profesora
    • el actor / la actriz

Summary

  • Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine.
  • Gender is shown by articles and adjective endings.
  • Most nouns follow ending patterns, but watch for exceptions.
  • Agreement is essential for correct grammar.
Next Up: Plurals

Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025

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