Spanish nouns are classified as either masculine or feminine. This classification affects the form of words that modify the noun (such as articles and adjectives). Learning the patterns of gender helps you use Spanish words correctly.
How Gender Works
Every Spanish noun has a gender. This gender determines which articles and adjectives you use:
- Masculine nouns use articles like el (singular) and los (plural).
- Feminine nouns use articles like la (singular) and las (plural).
- Adjectives change their endings to match the noun’s gender, typically -o for masculine and -a for feminine.
Common Rules
Most nouns follow these simple patterns:
- Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine (e.g., el libro).
- Nouns ending in -a are usually feminine (e.g., la mesa).
Other Endings
- -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tud, and -umbre are usually feminine (e.g., la canción, la ciudad).
- -ma, -pa, -ta endings are often masculine (e.g., el problema, el mapa, el planeta), despite ending in -a.
Gender and Meaning
Sometimes, the same word changes meaning depending on gender:
- el capital = money or capital (economics)
- la capital = the capital city
- el cura = priest
- la cura = cure
- el cometa = comet
- la cometa = kite
Choose the correct English translation for these Spanish words: el cura / la cura
el cura = priest; la cura = cure
"El cura" refers to a priest, while "la cura" means a cure or treatment.
Tips for Learning
- Memorize the gender along with the noun (e.g., la casa).
- Learn nouns with their definite article (el or la).
- Look for common endings as clues.
- Use context to help guess gender for unfamiliar words.
What should you do when you encounter an unfamiliar noun?
Use context clues and remember its article if possible to determine gender.
Context and articles within sentences guide you to the correct gender for new nouns.
Summary
- Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine.
- Most nouns ending in -o are masculine; most ending in -a are feminine.
- Some endings always have the same gender (e.g., -ción is feminine).
- Articles (el, la, los, las) and adjectives must agree in gender.
- A few nouns have different meanings depending on gender.
- Always learn the gender when you learn a new noun.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
