In Spanish, gender agreement means that all parts of a sentence connected to a noun must share the same gender. Nouns are either masculine or feminine, and adjectives, articles, and sometimes even verbs change form to match the noun's gender.
- Nouns: Masculine or feminine
- Adjectives, articles, etc.: Must match the noun they modify
- Agreement includes both gender and number
Nouns and Their Genders
Spanish nouns have a gender: masculine or feminine. Most nouns ending in -o are masculine, and those ending in -a are feminine, but there are exceptions.
- Typical masculine endings: -o, -ma, -s
- Typical feminine endings: -a, -ción, -sión, -dad
| Gender | Common Endings | Example Nouns |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -o, -ma, -s | el libro, el problema, el mes |
| Feminine | -a, -ción, -sión, -dad | la casa, la canción, la ciudad |
Feminine nouns often end in -ción, -sión, or -dad.
Articles and Gender Agreement
Definite and indefinite articles change to match the noun's gender (and number).
| Type | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| Definite | el | la |
| Indefinite | un | una |
Examples:
- el libro (the book - masculine)
- la mesa (the table - feminine)
- un chico (a boy - masculine)
- una chica (a girl - feminine)
Definite articles are 'el' for masculine and 'la' for feminine.
Adjective Agreement
Adjectives must agree in both gender and number with the nouns they describe.
- Most adjectives ending in -o change to -a for feminine (and add -s/-as for plural): alto/alta
- Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant usually stay the same for gender but add -s for plural: inteligente → inteligentes
| Noun | Adjective (Singular) | Adjective (Plural) |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | alto | altos |
| Feminine | alta | altas |
| Common (e) | inteligente | inteligentes |
Examples:
- chico alto / chica alta (tall boy / tall girl)
- libros interesantes (interesting books)
- mesas grandes (big tables)
For two girls, 'alto' becomes 'altas' to match feminine plural.
Conclusion
Gender agreement is a cornerstone of Spanish grammar, ensuring that the components of a sentence are harmoniously matched.
- Nouns have genders: masculine or feminine.
- Articles and adjectives must change to match the noun's gender and number.
- Recognizing patterns in endings helps master gender agreement.
Both adjectives and articles must agree with the noun.
The feminine article for a singular noun is 'la'.
Feminine nouns often end in -a, -ción, or -dad.