Gender of Nouns - Presentation (60 Q)

Gender of Nouns

By Denise EDS

A noun is a person, place, item, animal, or idea.

In the Spanish language, not only people and animals have gender, but so do items, places, and ideas. So, in conclusion, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. With that said, there are a few rules that will let you know which nouns are masculine and which ones are feminine.

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Not all nouns masculine nouns have a feminine counterpart or vice-versa.

Most nouns related to animals and people have a gender counterpart. Some people/animal nouns are neutral.

​

Everything else such as items (things), places, and ideas are always either masculine or feminine. There is no change.​

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Most nouns that end in -a are considered feminine.

​

Ex: ​la chica, la mesa, la idea

Feminine

Most nouns that end in -o are considered masculine.

​

Ex: el chico, el libro, el miedo​

Masculine

Gender Rule #1

Let's practice!

Multiple Choice

hermano (brother)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

casa (house)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

pluma (pen)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

bolígrafo (also pen)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

prima (female cousin)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

silla (chair)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

fotografía (photograph)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

alumno (student)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

libro (book)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

maestra (female teacher)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Most nouns that end in -ción / -sión are considered feminine.

​

Ex: ​la televisión, la acción

Feminine

Most nouns that end in -ma,

-pa, and -ta are considered masculine.

​Ex: el tema, el mapa, el planeta

Masculine

Gender Rule #2

Let's practice!

Multiple Choice

lección (lesson)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

idioma (idiom; language)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

problema (problem)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

nación (nation)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

papa (pope)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

religión (religion)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

mapa (map)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

planeta (planet)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

canción (song)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

cometa (comet)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Most nouns that end in -d are considered feminine.

​

Ex: ​la ciudad, la pared

Feminine

Most nouns that end in -n or -s are considered masculine.

​

Ex: el examen, el pan, el miércoles

Masculine

Gender Rule #3

Let's practice!

Multiple Choice

jueves (Thursday)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

amistad (friendship)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

habilidad (hability)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

ciudad (city)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

libertad (freedom)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

interés (interest)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

mes (month)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

salud (health)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

verdad (truth)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Most nouns that end in -z are considered feminine.

​

Ex: ​la ciudad, la pared

Feminine

Most nouns that end in -r or -l are considered masculine.

​

Ex: el examen, el pan, el papel

Masculine

Gender Rule #4

Let's practice!

Multiple Choice

actor (actor)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

animal (animal)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

criminal (criminal)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

árbol (tree)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

reunión (reunion, meeting)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

opinión (opinion)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

nación (nation)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

población (population)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

conjugación (conjugation)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

fútbol (soccer)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

voleibol (volleyball)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Most nouns that end in -nte and -umbre are considered feminine.

​Ex: ​la gente, la costumbre

Feminine

Most nouns that end in -aje or -ambre are considered masculine.

​Ex: el paisaje, el enjambre

Masculine

Gender Rule #5

Let's practice!

Multiple Choice

lenguaje (language)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

superficie (surface)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

gente (people)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

traje (suite)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

costumbre (custom)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

mente (mind)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

enjambre (swarm)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

alambre (wire)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

serie (series)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

garaje (garage)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Rule #1: el sofá, el día

Rule #2: ​el avión, el camión

Rule #3: el césped​

Rule #4: el lápiz, el pez, el arroz

Rule #5: el puente ​

Feminine

Rule #1: la mano, la radio

Rule #2: ​la mamá

Rule #3: ​la razón, la crisis

Rule #4: ​la sal, la mujer, la flor

Rule #5: See next slide

Masculine

Gender Rule: Some exceptions

Hambre is a feminine noun, but uses the word el because the people who invented the language did not like la hambre. Do I think is dumb, yes, but it must be learned.

​

What is the deal with "hambre" (hunger)?

No, there is also el agua (water) and el águila (eagle).

​

Is "hambre" the only one like this?

Let's practice!

Multiple Choice

puente

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

mano (hand)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

sofá (couch)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

día (day)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

radio (radio)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

lápiz (pencil)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

avión (airplane)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

pez (fish)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

flor (flower)

• Masculine

• Feminine

Multiple Choice

la sal (salt)

• Masculine

• Feminine

The -e ending

Many nouns ending in -e are masculine and many of them are feminine. The best way to learn which one is which is to learn the article with it. In other words, don't just learn leche (milk); learn la leche so you can automatically know if the word is masculine or feminine.

​la calle	la noche​	la tarde​	​el pie	​el coche	​el perfume
street​	night​	​afternoon	foot​	​car	​perfume

The neutral nouns

The neutral nouns are the nouns that can be either masculine or feminine. These normally apply to people/animal related nouns.

The only way you know if we are talking about a masculine or feminine nouns are by listening to context clues such as, but not limited to, the gender of the article and/or adjective that modifies such noun.

1. ​estudiante (student)

2. jóven (young person)

3. elefante (elephant)

4. ​dentista (dentist)

5. periodista (journalist)

6. ​presidente (president)

​

Some examples are...

As you have learned, most nouns in the Spanish language are either masculine or feminine making Spanish a language with a "binary grammar gender system". At the beginning of the 21st century, several activists suggested the use of -@ or -x. While -@ was dismissed because it only included certain groups, -x became widely used; the only problem was it had no pronunciation. In 2012, LGBTTIQ + activists M. Wayar and Lohana Berkins suggested the use of -e since it is considered neutral and it can be easy pronounced. As far as I know, this change has not been adopted by the RAE; and thus, it is not considered grammatically correct.

LBGTQ: Exclusive language​

The information in the previous slide was obtained from Attitudes Toward Gender-Neutral Spanish: Acceptability and Adoptability (2021) by Juan Eduardo Bonin & Alejandro Anibal Coronel.

To read this study, go to

LBGTQ: Exclusive language

Bonin, J. E., and Coronel, A.A. (2021). Attitudes toward gender-neutral Spanish acceptability and adoptability. Frontiers in Sociology. doi:10.1177/0959353514526217​

Accessed May 18, 2022.​

​

This study is written in English.​