Noun Gender in Spanish
El género de los sustantivos
In Spanish, all nouns have a grammatical gender—they are either masculine or feminine. This gender affects the articles and adjectives used with the noun.
Learning Tips
Strategies to help remember noun gender.
- Always learn nouns with their articles
- Look for ending patterns
- Notice exceptions and memorize them
- Practice with real examples
- Remember that gender is grammatical, not always logical
Example: el perro (masculine) / la perra (feminine)
Why Noun Gender Matters
Gender determines which articles and adjective forms you use with nouns.
| Gender | Article | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | el/un | el libro |
| Feminine | la/una | la casa |
| Masculine plural | los/unos | los libros |
| Feminine plural | las/unas | las casas |
Common Gender Patterns by Ending
Certain word endings reliably indicate gender.
| Ending | Gender | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -o | Masculine | el gato | the cat |
| -a | Feminine | la mesa | the table |
| -ción | Feminine | la estación | the station |
| -dad | Feminine | la libertad | the freedom |
| -or | Masculine | el calor | the heat |
| -ma | Masculine | el problema | the problem |
Articles and Gender
The article must match the gender and number of the noun.
| Type | Masculine | Feminine | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definite singular | el | la | el perro / la gata |
| Indefinite singular | un | una | un libro / una mesa |
| Definite plural | los | las | los perros / las gatas |
| Indefinite plural | unos | unas | unos libros / unas mesas |
Feminine Nouns
Most nouns ending in -a are feminine, as are most nouns referring to female people or animals.
| Ending | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| -a | la casa | the house |
| -ción | la canción | the song |
| -dad | la ciudad | the city |
| Person | la mujer | the woman |
- Most nouns ending in -a
- Most nouns ending in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tud
- Most nouns ending in -ez, -ie, -umbre
- Letters of the alphabet
Masculine Nouns
Most nouns ending in -o are masculine, as are most nouns referring to male people or animals.
| Ending | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| -o | el libro | the book |
| -or | el amor | the love |
| -aje | el viaje | the trip |
| Person | el hombre | the man |
- Most nouns ending in -o
- Days of the week, months, numbers
- Most nouns ending in -aje, -or, -án, -ambre
- Rivers, oceans, mountains
Common Learner Questions
Helpful questions when determining noun gender:
- What is the ending of the noun?
- Does it refer to a male or female person/animal?
- Is it in the exceptions list?
- What article is used with it?
Important Exceptions
Some nouns don't follow the typical gender patterns.
| Noun | Gender | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| el día | Masculine | the day |
| la mano | Feminine | the hand |
| el mapa | Masculine | the map |
| la foto | Feminine | the photo |
| el problema | Masculine | the problem |
| la radio | Feminine | the radio |
Example Sentences
El perro es grande.The dog is big.
La casa es bonita.The house is pretty.
Los niños juegan en el parque.The children play in the park.
Las flores son rojas.The flowers are red.
El problema es difícil.The problem is difficult.
Gender Changes with Meaning
Some nouns can be masculine or feminine with different meanings.
la capitalcapital (money) / capital (city)type: Same word · masculine: el capital
la curapriest / curetype: Same word · masculine: el cura
la ordenorder (sequence) / order (command)type: Same word · masculine: el orden
la guíamale guide / female guide or guidebooktype: Same word · masculine: el guía