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Spanish Grammar in Context

A reference grammar with video examples from the Spanish in Texas collection

  • Credits
  • Index
  • About
  • Home
  • Adjectives
    • Introduction to Adjectives
    • Adjectives – Formation and Placement
    • Comparisons and Superlatives with Adjectives
    • Past Participles as Adjectives
    • Todo
    • Indefinite Adjectives
    • Adjectives Practice
  • Adverbs
    • Introduction to Adverbs
    • Adverbs – Formation and Placement
    • Comparative Adverbs
    • Adverbs Practice
  • Conjunctions
    • Introduction to Conjunctions
    • Coordinating Conjunctions
    • Subordinating Conjunctions
    • Conjunctions Practice
  • Determiners
    • Introduction to Determiners
    • Definite Articles
    • Indefinite Articles
    • Possessive Determiners
    • Demonstrative Determiners
    • Expressions of Quantity
    • Determiners Practice
  • Negation
    • Introduction to Negation
    • Basic Negation: No
    • Alternate Forms of Negation
    • One-word Negative Sentences
    • Negation Practice
  • Nouns
    • Introduction to Nouns
    • Nouns – Number
    • Nouns – Gender
    • Nouns Practice
  • Prepositions
    • Introduction to Prepositions
    • Common Prepositions
    • Por vs. Para
    • Prepositions Practice
  • Pronouns
    • Introduction to Pronouns
    • Subject Pronouns
    • Direct Object Pronouns
    • Indirect Object Pronouns
    • Reflexive Pronouns
    • Order of Object Pronouns
    • Relative Pronouns
    • Indefinite Pronouns
    • Demonstrative Pronouns
    • Possessive Pronouns
    • Pronouns Practice
  • Verbs
    • Introduction to Verbs
    • Tense/Mood
    • Introduction to Present Tense
      • -ar Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -er Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -ir Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
    • Ser “To Be”
    • Haber “To Have”
    • Reflexive Verbs
    • Preterit
    • Present Perfect
    • Imperfect
    • Narration: Preterit vs. Imperfect
    • Pluperfect
    • Future
    • Conditional
    • Past Conditional
    • Imperative Mood (commands)
    • Introduction to Subjunctive
      • Subjunctive – Present
      • Subjunctive – Past or Imperfect
      • Subjunctive – Present Perfect
      • Subjunctive – Pluperfect
      • Tense Sequences
    • Si Clauses (If Clauses)
    • Indirect Speech
      • Indirect Speech – Present
      • Indirect Speech – Past
    • Passive Voice
    • Language Contact
    • Verbs Practice
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    Practice quizzes: nouns

    Nouns – Gender

    In Spanish, a noun is always feminine or masculine and is usually introduced by a determiner, which indicates the gender of the noun. 

    People

    When a noun refers to a person, the gender is usually determined by the person’s sex. In general, the feminine form of a noun is formed by using an –a ending.

    Masculine Feminine
    el camarero la camarera
    el amigo la amiga
    el doctor la doctora
    el presidente la presidenta

    There are cases when the feminine form of the noun changes more drastically.

    Masculine Feminine
    el actor la actriz
    el poeta la poetisa
    el padre la madre
    Uno aprende a ser padre o madre, mientras uno va caminando.
    One learns to be a dad or mom while one goes.
    Aunque era hembra, yo tenía que hacer los trabajos del varón.
    Even though I was a female, I had to do the work of a male.

    Sometimes, the masculine form and the feminine form of a noun are identical, such as most nouns featuring -ista and -ante endings. Only the determiner or the context indicates if it is a feminine or masculine noun.

    Masculine Feminine
    el estudiante la estudiante
    el periodista la periodista
    el artista la artista
    Mi mamá trabajaba como una corresponsal periodista internacional.
    My mom worked as an international correspondent journalist.

    Animals

    The gender of animals is often arbitrary. Most animals are assigned one set gender: some are masculine (el leopardo the leopard, el murciélago the bat) and others feminine (la hormiga the ant, la oveja the sheep). However, some animals have different masculine and feminine forms, a few of those are irregular.

    Masculine Feminine
    el perro la perra
    el gato la gata
    el gallo la gallina
    el buey/toro la vaca
    Se me dio por tener una mascota ni perro, ni gato, no, un pingüino.
    I ended up with a pet, not a dog, not a cat, no, a penguin.
    Pude trabajar con niños y con animales al mismo tiempo pero no animales que encuentras en cualquier lado. O sea con ballenas, con delfines, con pájaros exóticos.
    I could work with kids and animals at the same time but no animales that you find anywhere but with whales, dolphins, exotic birds.

    Objects and Ideas

    The gender of nouns referring to things and abstractions is arbitrary. However, it can often be inferred from the ending of the word. Typically, words ending in -aje, -mento, -miento, -ismo are masculine and those ending in -ción, -sión, -ad, -ancia, -encia, -eza, -ía, -ia, -ura are feminine.

    Masculine Endings

    -aje

    Es el lenguaje que uso para comunicarme.
    It is the language that I use to communicate.

    –mento

    No podíamos comprar medicamentos para tener en la casa.
    We couldn’t buy medicine to have in the house.

    –miento

    Tengo sentimientos mezclados en ese aspecto.
    I have mixed feelings in that regard.

    –ismo
    Es el país con el menor índice de turismo de toda toda Latinoamérica.
    It is the country with the lowest number of tourism of all Latin America.

    Me gustó el periodismo, pero me gustó más la mercadotecnia.
    I liked journalism but I liked marketing more.

    Feminine Endings

    –ción

    Entonces ella escuchaba las canciones de los Beatles.
    So she listened to songs by the Beatles.

    -sión

    Eso es una expresión que sé que la usamos mucho aquí.
    That is an expression that I know we use a lot here.

    -ad

    La oportunidad de aprender música fue enorme para mí.
    The opportunity to learn music was enormous for me.

    -eza

    Mi madre vendía artículos de belleza.
    My mother used to sell beauty products.

     -encia

    Pasé pues toda mi niñez y adolescencia en Ciudad Juárez.
    I spent my whole childhood and adolesence in Ciudad Juarez.

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