Well start with the most obvious, which is that most words that end in o are going to be masculine. Yet if you are referring to a person or occupation this is what happens: LA espa = The spy (if the spy is a woman. One other common word that ends in -a but that is masculine is the word el da (day). Feminine nouns that end in -o * These words are shortened from words that do end in A: discoteca, fotografa, motocicleta, pornografa, and radiodifusin. If you liked this post, you can share it with someone else who might find it helpful! When using demonstrative pronouns (esta, esa, aquella) with these words, they stay feminine. You cant apply it to plural nouns or that would mean that every word would be masculine. Los delfines son adorables. Qu bonito est tu labial! endings to determine the gender of a word in Spanish. You are too stressed out; you should go on holiday. Learn all about the Spanish gender roles below - Feminine (la) vs Masculine (el). If you happen to have an excellent grasp on etymology, youll have a leg up! Unfortunately, there are not as many rules to know whether a noun in Spanish is masculine. But since doctor refers to a person and an occupation, its the gender of the doctor that will determine the article and ending. Los dentistas estn muy jvenes. 501 lessons. These nouns are: Mi caballo es negro y mi yegua parda. That means you have to know when to use El or La for every single noun. They have a master's degrees in English from Southeast Missouri State University and a master's degree in Spanish literature from the University of Missouri Columbia. We only say "el agua" only because it's smoother to pronounce than "la aqua." Period. In the following sections, well explore some of Spanishs most important rules for feminine and masculine nouns. In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. La noche - the night. In fact, a few masculine words also end with this vowel. I want a more intense red. tony bloom starlizard. Su habitacin es morada. The name Isaac means 'he will laugh.'. "Uncle" and "aunt," for example, are el to and la ta. If the noun is masculine and singular, use the masculine, singular ending (usually - o ). Can vacaciones be singular? As you can see, below that chart, you'll then see the "el" & "la . Singapore is very expensive. After all, how can you know if problema and mano are feminine or masculine? Is vacation feminine or masculine in Spanish? Nouns that end with -ma, -pa, -ta, or any of the letters in the word LONERS are usually masculine. el gato male cat My kitty is sick. Every single noun in Spanish has a gender: feminine or masculine. either to a group of male persons or a . Passive Voice in Spanish: Examples & Practice, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, What are Cognates in Spanish? However, the word persona is always a feminine word. Search millions of Spanish-English example sentences from our dictionary, TV shows, and the internet. My cousins design is not finished. Your house is big and pretty. If you look at texts 30 years ago you would never find LA arquitectA, it would have been LA arquitectO. Because coming from English you dont have any reference to hold on to, sometimes our memory can only recall so much and we mix up the gender. Read 250 words that are the same in English and Spanish and Spanish words that are similar to English words to boost your vocabulary right away! noun uk / veke.n/ us / veke.n/ A1 [ C or U ] US (UK holiday) a time when someone does not go to work or school but is free to do what they want, such as travel or relax vacaciones We're taking a vacation in June. We covered o above because it really requires its own section, but this is a good general rule of thumb. Yet if you are referring to a person or occupation this is what happens: EL espa = The spy (if the spy is a man) LA espa = The spy (if the spy is a woman. I hope you have enjoyed this article about masculine and feminine in Spanish! The journalist works all day. Otherwise, it would sound like laaagua. We know that a person can be a man or a woman. Many people mistakenly think the gender of a noun in Spanish is determined by who uses that object. Youre more likely to hearel gato when someone is talking about a generic cat, for example. 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? Thats why agua, a feminine noun, in singular is el agua. Given that its key for your conversations and it can also help you practice this spelling change, in this guide, well learn the probar conjugation Hola! Grammatical gender is a property of Spanish nouns. As established before, a Spanish noun can be classified as masculine or feminine depending on its gender. Uncle and aunt, for example, are el to andla ta. Words ending in -ed (if the stress falls on this syllable). There are a few exceptions to this rule (for example, la mano and el mapa ). You know that people and animals are masculine or feminine, but did you know that nouns in Spanish have gender? For objects and concepts, Spanish gender is, The Spanish masculine gender can be used to talk about a, Most feminine words in Spanish end with , Singular feminine words that start with a, Certain nouns related to professions have fixed endings. These are some of the nouns whose endings cannot change. Sometimes, all we need is a quick and simple explanation to remove the obstacles, bringing the goal of being fluent in Spanish within grasping distance. From students and tourists to doctors and soldiers whove moved and visited here over the years. Memorizing just the exceptions will be a lot easier than memorizing every single word in the Spanish language. As you can see, below that chart, youll then see the el & la exceptions for Spanish words. Our dogs are small. Just like with nouns, Spanish masculine adjectives usually end in the vowel -O like "Bonito" and "Creativo", e.g. For any person or animal that is masculine, these are the articles to use: For any person or animal that is feminine, these are the articles to use: For example. According to the standard rules, you would think the opposite, but as youll see in the exceptions below, youll learn the nuances with the Spanish language. Conseiller(re) aux ventes Corbeil lectromnager recherche une personne qui aime offrir aux clients une exprience de magasinage remarquable et qui a un bon sens de l'analyse des besoins. Your neighbor is very noisy. However, there are a few masculine nouns that end in -a. Days and months are masculine: el lunes, el mircoles, el sbado, este abril, ese enero, etc. You will notice that when adjectives modify such words, they are feminine: El agua est fra o tibia? Exceptions: la mano, la radio, la moto, la foto. The adjective ending in Spanish always depends on the noun it modifies. The song is too long. As you may already know, most masculine words in Spanish end with -o. In English, you use a form of the verb 'to be' (am, is, are, was, were, etc.) Several Spanish nouns have a masculine and a feminine form, for example, hijo - son and hija - daughter.Another example is mdico - male doctor and mdica - female doctor.. Mis perros son muy tranquilos. I can help you with that! . las vacaciones de Navidad, las vacaciones de Pascua, las vacaciones de verano. Have you tried it yet? In Spanish, the following nouns are always masculine: (Determiner] +[noun] + [verb conjugated] + [complement]. These nouns keep the same spelling, regardless of gender a fact that cuts down the number of words you have to memorize to speak and write Spanish like a native. Objectos de clase (masculine - feminine ) Group sort. Usted is used to speak in a more professional manner. This power point explains how Spanish nouns, articles and adjectives have gender and number. La casa blanca es muy bonita.The white house is very pretty. I hope you find what youre looking here during your journey into Espaol Read More About Me, Venir Conjugation 101: Conjugate Venir In Spanish. So far, youve learned some of the most common endings used to form feminine and masculine words in Spanish and their exceptions. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. And since we are here, this is one of my favorite songs in Spanish! As you might have guessed, all of the tricks were going to cover use word Recuerdas aquella vez que estuvimos de vacaciones en Vermont? What Mono means? Your email address will not be published. Not bad, huh? Names of rivers, lakes, and oceans are usually masculine; names of mountains are usually feminine. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. So how come it's "el problema" and not "la problema" since "el" should always modify a masculine noun and "la" a feminine noun. vacacion is more commonly used in plural than in singular. Remember that nouns that end with z do not follow a default gender guideline. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol). There are one hundred chairs available. See answer (1) Copy. For instance, when the word for a person or occupation ends in -e. When occupations end in -a it gets messy. Take Note: To pluralize these Spanish words, you must change the -z for the ending -ces. In plain English, this book explains the Masculine & Feminine elements of Spanish, plus the rules around Singular & Plural. The Masculine and feminine 1 Whack-a-mole. This discussion is especially alive with occupations. This attribute allows us to classify words as either masculine or feminine. Miami Beach, FL 33139, 1000 5th St, suite 200 The noun is called "de gnero comn" (common gender) when with the same termination it may . This attribute allows us to classify words as either masculine or feminine. A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. Tom la decisin equivocada. Hubo mil quinientos invitados.There were one thousand five hundred guests. All of these expressions, as well as a number of others, have one thing in common. El ni o - the male child / la ni a - the female child. #RAEconsultas Although vacaciones is the majority use, the singular vacacin is also correct: la vacacin veraniega (P. Lan Entralgo). And to make things more interesting, the fact is that with time, languages evolve and change. I want a coffee, please. Why? Nouns ending with -a are usually feminine: la mesa, la cama, la casa, la palabra, etc. Mi gatita est enferma. Most nouns that end in "a" are feminine nouns. A few of the most common ones are: Any words that are actually a shorter form of a longer word. There are some rules to determine if a noun is masculine of feminine. Animals With Irregular Masculine And Feminine Forms. The standard rules are here on the top of the page, but you shouldnt trust them fully. When they describe a NOUN, they must match its GENDER (masculine/feminine). When My Masculine Met My Feminine | Tijana Tamburic | TEDxBucharest El frica El Agua- Las Agua (plural) the waters Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary HarperCollins Publishers 2011. Lessons for Adults & Kids. If a word ends with these three letters, you can be almost certain its a feminine noun. You will get new updates by email, as well as a copy of my ebook, the Definitive Guide to Learn Conjugations in Spanish. Hay cien sillas disponibles. Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English. Copyright (c) Minerva Webworks LLC All Rights Reserved. I like the pink dress. Because gender is such an integral part of learning Spanish your best bet as an English speaker is to acquire each new word with its respective article. This can be confusing, especially when some words, like persona (person), can refer to a person that is man or a woman. Thinking of them together might help you remember their correct gender. In many cases, the worst that can happen to you is that your Spanish will not sound very good: La problema es que no tengo tiempo. Thomas grew up in suburban Massachusetts, and moved to New York City for college. My cousin is also smart. Este semestre est bien pesado.I desperately need a vacation! Or el agua in singular, while las aguas in plural. The Amazon River is the worlds largest river. Spanish Survival Kit: Asking for Directions [2022]. Dijiste que the letters of the alphabet are masculine, pero son feminine, Muchas gracias, Ann! Not only in Spanish, but also in other Romance and non-Romance languages, such as German and Russian. When talking about people, animals and occupations things get a bit blurry. La mano (hand) is feminine, but el pie (foot) is masculine. That tree is very old. They wish that they were in love now. Sofia is very smart. El nino y el gato. Most adjectives in Spanish can be either feminine or masculine depending on the genre of the accompanying noun. As mentioned above, this rule comes into effect with amounts superior to two hundred. Something like ZAD? Take the Spanish words for "colour" and "tooth": el color, el diente. Luca tiene cualidades muy buenas. Access millions of accurate translations written by our team of experienced English-Spanish translators. Plural of Masculine Nouns [edit | edit source]. This allows us to ease the pronunciation! Fast, easy, reliable language certification, 35,000+ worksheets, games, and lesson plans. His shoes are very expensive. Besides the masculine and feminine genders, some nouns are called: de gnero comn, epiceno, and ambiguo. Spanish gender is a complex topic. Since it can be challenging to conjugate, well Probar Conjugation 101: Conjugate Probar in Spanish. Composition 2 - 1020 Tema: Vacation plans Imagine you are planning your next vacation with your best friend to a Spanish speaking country or a specific city (assigned by your instructor). The ending -a is a good indicator that youre most likely dealing with a feminine Spanish word. Your email address will not be published. If you have the word for friend, it refers to a person correct? My parents spent the Easter holidays in Argentina. (university) (United Kingdom) a. la vacaciones (F) to take a vacation tomarse unas vacaciones intransitive verb 2. The adjective for Brasil is brasileo. We said all words ending in -a are feminine. Because of this, he has really hard opinions about AP Style. Even if the nouns are in singular! Both are masculine in Spanish, but when translated to French they become feminine even though the words are almost exactly the same: la couleur, la dent. Fortunately, even the exceptions have rules. frias, sair de frias, frias [feminine, vacances [feminine, plural], passer ses vacances, vacanza, andare in vacanza, (passare le vacanze), Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes, Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Learn more in the Cambridge English-French Dictionary. Control of polling in presence of vacations in heavy traffic with applications to satellite and mobile radio systems. (in summer) a. veranear Copyright 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited vacation noun 1 especially (Britain) (Jur) receso (m) vacacional (formal); periodo (m) vacacional Again, there is no real reason. But be careful! Lingua Linkup, May. But, more exceptions! We know, we know, the exceptions are very frustrating. The grammatical gender is an arbitrary classification that divides nouns into two types: masculines or feminines. While most nouns refer to objects and concepts that dont have gender, there are also the nouns that do. For example, we usually say la moto for motorcycle, which ends in an -o. Before a stressed A vowel sound, use EL instead of LA even if the noun is feminine. " El nio es bonito y gordo ". Over time we've worked to perfect every minute of every learning session. 33 chapters | Take Note: When it comes to living things (people and animals), masculine nouns are always used when referring to a mixed group (no matter how many females or males are) or when talking about the group as a whole. Please check your email and click the link to confirm your subscription - gracias! Privacy | Terms of Use. Copyright 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited. El DIA = THE DAY The same goes for some words that end in -o that are actually feminine: la mano, la radio, la foto, etc. For living things (such as people and animals), the grammatical gender is associated with the biological gender: El perro de Luis es blanco. With these rules below, youll know which to use with every word el or la. Its hand From Latin manus (" hand " ). Most masculine nouns end in -o, like hermano, meaning 'brother' and most feminine nouns end in -a, like hermana, meaning 'sister'. Making educational experiences better for everyone. Benoit Hamon, CEO de SINGA, est venu sur Komune pour donner des faits face aux ides To put it in simple terms, if youre working with a Spanish masculine noun, you must make sure its modifiers are also masculine. I love smoked salmon. Sus zapatos son muy caros. Me gusta el vestido rosa. Because there area lot. While this is actually true for a lot of words, there are so many exceptions to this rule that it often becomes more of a problem than a solution. He made the wrong decision. The general rule is that Spanish nouns that end in -a are feminine. In those cases, if we want to specify the sex, we need to add macho (male) or hembra (female): Finally, a word can change its meaning according to its ending. FR8 En Ville - Location Sort - Masculine/Feminine Group sort. * These words are shortened from words that do end in A: discoteca, fotografa, motocicleta, pornografa, and radiodifusin. 2. Now lets see how to know if a word is masculine or feminine in Spanish when talking about people and animals. Here is a quick overview of the topics well cover: By the end of this article, youll have a more solid understanding of how Spanish gender works. Tu vecina es muy ruidosa. But, sometimes a word is a shorter forms of a longer word, like moto or radio. Whether its a good idea to split the world into two genders is a subject for a different article, but for now well go through the various kinds of nouns that switch genders.