Gender agreement is a rule in Spanish grammar requiring that certain words (like adjectives, articles, and pronouns) change their endings to match the gender of the nouns they modify or replace.
- In Spanish, every noun has a gender: masculine or feminine.
- Words that describe or relate to the noun must agree in gender.
- Masculine forms usually end in -o; feminine forms usually end in -a.
- There are exceptions and irregular forms to learn.
Adjective Agreement
Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe:
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alto (m.) | altos (m.) | tall (m./sg.) | tall (m./pl.) | El hombre alto.* | The tall man. |
| alta (f.) | altas (f.) | tall (f./sg.) | tall (f./pl.) | La mujer alta.* | The tall woman. |
| joven (m./f.) | jóvenes (m./f.) | young (sg.) | young (pl.) | La chica joven.* | The young girl. |
- If a noun is masculine, use the masculine adjective form.
- If a noun is feminine, use the feminine adjective form.
- For nouns ending in -e or a consonant, the adjective is usually the same for both genders.
- Add -s or -es to make adjectives plural.
Article Agreement
Definite and indefinite articles must match the gender (and number) of nouns:
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| el (m.) | los (m.) | the (m./sg.) | the (m./pl.) | El libro es mío.* | The book is mine. |
| la (f.) | las (f.) | the (f./sg.) | the (f./pl.) | La casa es grande.* | The house is big. |
| un (m.) | unos (m.) | a/some (m.) | - | Un gato duerme.* | A cat sleeps. |
| una (f.) | unas (f.) | a/some (f.) | - | Una idea buena.* | A good idea. |
- Use el or la for "the" (singular).
- Use los or las for "the" (plural).
- Use un or una for "a" (singular).
- Use unos or unas for "some" (plural).
Choose the correct Spanish article and noun for: “___ casa es grande.” (The house is big.)
La casa es grande.
“Casa” is a singular feminine noun, so it takes the singular feminine article “la.”
Pronoun Agreement
Subject, object, and possessive pronouns must agree with the noun’s gender and number:
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| él (m.) | ellos (m.) | he | they (m.) | Él es mi amigo.* | He is my friend. |
| ella (f.) | ellas (f.) | she | they (f.) | Ella es mi amiga.* | She is my friend. |
| mío (m.) | míos (m.) | mine (m.) | mine (m./pl.) | El libro es mío.* | The book is mine. |
| mía (f.) | mías (f.) | mine (f.) | mine (f./pl.) | La carta es mía.* | The letter is mine. |
- Subject pronouns (él, ella) agree with gender.
- Possessive pronouns (mío/mía) agree with the gender and number of the noun they refer to.
- Object pronouns (lo, la, los, las) also follow gender rules.
Common Exceptions
Masculine nouns ending in -a
Some nouns are masculine but end in -a. Their adjectives and articles are masculine:
| Spanish Singular | English Singular | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| el día | the day (m.) | El día es soleado.* | The day is sunny. |
| el problema | the problem (m.) | El problema es difícil.* | The problem is difficult. |
Note: Never change the noun ending; use masculine articles and adjectives.*
Feminine nouns beginning with stressed “a-”
Feminine nouns starting with a stressed a- take el in singular to avoid awkward pronunciation but remain feminine in agreement:
| Spanish Singular | English Singular | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| el agua | the water (f.) | El agua está fría.* | The water is cold. |
| el águila | the eagle (f.) | El águila vuela alto.* | The eagle flies high. |
Note: Use las in plural (e.g., las aguas). Adjectives remain feminine (e.g., agua fría).*
What is correct: ___ agua está fría. (The water is cold.)
El agua está fría.
Although “agua” is feminine, it begins with a stressed “a-” sound, so it takes the masculine singular article “el” for pronunciation reasons. The adjective remains feminine.
Summary
- Match adjectives, articles, and pronouns to the noun’s gender (masculine or feminine).
- Masculine is usual with endings -o, feminine with -a; other endings vary.
- Use singular/plural forms accordingly.
- Learn exceptions like masculine nouns ending in -a and feminine nouns beginning with stressed a-.
Flashcards (1 of 15)
- English Singular: tall (m./sg.)
- English Plural: tall (m./pl.)
- Example (English): The tall man.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
