1. Nouns – gender and number

2. What is a noun? A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea
In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine.

3. Most nouns that end in -o are usually masculine
el libro
el escritorio
el colegio
Most nouns that end in -a are usually feminine.
la puerta
la ventana
la tarea
Exceptions: el dia = the day el problema = the problem

4. Other Spanish Nouns For example: el ajedrez - chess
Other Spanish nouns end in -e or a consonant.
For example:
el ajedrez - chess
el marcador - marker
la clase - class
la televisión = TV

5. Other Spanish Nouns Some can be both masculine and feminine:
el/la estudiante - the student

6. English vs. Spanish
The idea that nouns have gender seems perfectly natural when the noun stands for a living creature. This is because in English, living creatures often have different names depending on whether they are male or female.
Masculine Feminine
boy girl
father mother
lion lioness
uncle aunt

7. English vs. Spanish
Certain nouns that denote living things have both a masculine and feminine form in Spanish.
Masculine Feminine
el gato = male cat la gata = female cat
el abuelo = grandfather la abuela = grandmother
El chico = boy la chica = girl

8. REMEMBER!
You can’t predict the gender of a noun, except in the case of living creatures.
Do not try to analyze the nature of an object to look for masculine or feminine qualities!
IT WON’T WORK!
Dress is a masculine word in Spanish---
el vestido
Necktie is a feminine word in Spanish---
la corbata

9. But how can I tell if a noun is masculine or feminine?
When you learn a new noun, you MUST memorize its definite article (el or la).

10. What is “el” or “la”? that means “the” as in: the head – la cabeza
El / la is a definite article
that means “the” as in:
the head – la cabeza
the arm – el brazo

11. Singular and Plural
Plural in English is simple: generally one add an “s” at the end ex: the cat the cats Exceptions: Irreg. plural child children, foot feet spy  spies , knife  knives

12. Plural in Spanish Singular Plural EL LOS LA LAS
Masc. EL
LOS
Fem. LA
LAS
Example: el chico  los chicos
the boy the boys
la chica  las chicas
the girl the girls

13. Making Nouns Plural
To make nouns plural you usually add -s to words ending in a vowel and -es to words ending in a consonant.
estudiante  estudiantes
animal  animales

14. Saquen los diccionarios…
Take out your dictionary.
Look up a Spanish noun that you know for sure is masculine. Do you notice any symbols or abbreviations that tell you the noun’s gender?
Now, look up a Spanish noun that you know is feminine. Are there any symbols or abbreviations that tell you the noun’s gender?

15. To remember You cannot predict the gender of most nouns.
Not every noun that ends in an –o is masculine, and not every noun that ends in an –a is feminine.
Many nouns end in letters other than –a and –o.
The definite article is your CLUE as to whether a noun is masculine or feminine.