A Multimedia Tutorial by C. Thomas

In this tutorial, you will see a few buttons at the bottom of your screen. Read below to find out what they are and how they work… This button takes you back to the beginning of the tutorial. This button takes you to the next slide. This button takes you to the previous slide. When you see this, it means there is a video for further explanation.

A noun is a person, place, thing or idea. In Spanish a noun is the same as it is in English, but there is a difference in how they are categorized.

In Spanish, nouns fall into two categories: feminine and masculine (male and female). In this lesson we will use rooms and things in a school to explain this concept.

Previously we learned that nouns in Spanish are either feminine or masculine. We see this in their endings: -o is masculine-a is feminine

Example: Libro (book) – ends in –o, so it is masculine. Silla (chair) – ends in –a, so it is feminine. Watch the video below. Then, lets begin our walk through the school….

Here we are in the cafeteria. Click the stars to see if the words are masculine or feminine. Window –ventana feminine Trash – Basura feminine Table – Mesa feminine Plate – plato masculine Floor – Piso masculine mesa piso plato ventana basura

Notice: Piso – ends in -o, so it is masculine. Mesa – ends in -a, so it is feminine. Go back and look again to see what nouns are…

Click the star for the nouns that are masculine. No, basura is feminine. platomesa piso ventana basura Yes! Plato is masculine No, ventana is feminine. No, mesa is feminine. Yes! Piso is masculine.

Click the star for the nouns that are feminine. ventana basura plato mesa piso Yes! Ventana is feminine. Yes! Basura is feminine. Yes! Mesa is feminine. No, plato is masculine. No, piso is masculine.

In the cafeteria we saw the different endings on Spanish nouns. Remember the rule: feminine nouns end in – a, masculine nouns end in –o. Now, lets go to the office.

Next we have the office. Click the stars to see if the nouns are masculine or feminine. Teléfono- telephone masculine Grapadora -stapler feminine Copiadora- copier feminine Planta- plant feminine telefonoplanta copiadora grapadora

Notice the words that end in –o are masculine while the words that end in –a are feminine. Libro, Piso, Plato – all are masculine. (See the –o ending?) Planta, Copiadora, Grapadora – all are feminine. (See the –a ending?)

Click on the stars for the words that are masculine. Yes! Teléfono is masculine. No, grapadora is feminine. No. Copiadora is feminine. No, planta is feminine. telefonoplanta grapadora copiadora

Click on the stars for the words that are feminine. No. Teléfono is masculine. Yes! Grapadora is feminine. Yes! Copiadora is feminine. Yes! Planta is feminine. telefonoplanta copiadora grapadora

Now lets go to the library and do the same thing. Dont forget your rules!

Here in the library, look at the words, and click on those that are masculine. Yes! Libro is masculine. No. Impresora is feminine. Yes! Globo is masculine. No. Estantería is feminine. estantería globo impresora libro

Now click on those that are feminine. No. Globo is masculine. Yes! Impresora is feminine. No. Libro is masculine. Yes! Estantería is feminine. estantería globo libro impresora

Before we go on, stop and take this quiz to see how much you have learned. Take the quiz. Im not ready. Go back to the beginning.

Now lets explore further in the classroom. Click on the stars to find out the gender of each noun. Proyector Ordenador Pupitre Ecuación Proyector is masculine. Ordenador is masculine. Pupitre is masculine. Ecuacion is feminine.

Notice how these end in either –e, a consonant, or –ción.. There isnt always a pattern to them. Click again to see… Proyector Ordenador Pupitre Ecuación Proyector is masculine. Ordenador is masculine. Pupitre is masculine. Ecuacion is feminine.

These that dont end in –o or –a, you must memorize. Did you memorize them? Projector – proyector, masculine Pupitre – desk, masculine Ordenador – computer, masculine Ecuación – equation, feminine

Click on the nouns that are masculine. Proyector Ordenador Pupitre Ecuación Yes! Proyector is masculine. Yes! Ordenador is masculine. Yes! Pupitre is masculine. No. Ecuación is feminine.

Click on the nouns that are feminine. Proyector Ordenador Pupitre Ecuación No. Proyector is masculine. No. Ordenador is masculine. No. Pupitre is masculine. Yes! Ecuación is feminine.

Lets see how much you learned. Take the quiz. Im not ready, I need to go back to the beginning.

Lets review: Feminine nouns end in an –a. Masculine nouns end in an –o.

Some nouns end in an –e, a consonant, or other endings like –ción. Clase – feminine ecuación – feminine ordenador - masculine

Remember, nouns NOT ending in –o or -a usually have to be memorized. Are you ready for your final checkout? I am ready. No, start over.

Finished with a 80% or above. Failed, need to start over.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE NOUN GENDER TUTORIAL!!!!