Every noun in Spanish has a gender: masculine or feminine.
And while there are no absolute rules, masculine and feminine nouns tend to present different endings. We will learn them in this lesson.
You will also find a Quiz to practice the topic.
Contents
Common endings of masculine and feminine nouns
The following table includes some of the most common endings of masculine and feminine nouns:
| Typical endings of masculine nouns | Typical endings of feminine nouns |
|---|---|
| -o | -a |
| -or | -ción |
| -aje | -sión |
| -dad | |
| -ía | |
| -itis | |
| -za |
Examples and exceptions
Let’s read some examples (and exceptions) for each ending in the table above.
Common endings of masculine nouns
-o
Examples: el dinero, el supermercado, el kiosco, el barco, el océano, el milagro…
Exceptions: la mano, la radio, la foto, la moto…
-or
Examples: el amor, el color, el calor, el dolor, el exterior, el trabajador
Exceptions: la flor…
–aje
Examples: el coraje, el viaje, el equipaje
Common endings of feminine nouns
-a
Examples: la mesa, la música, la guitarra, la cabeza, la filosofía…
Exceptions: el problema, el tema, el idioma, el clima…
–ción
Examples: la atención, la información, la corrección, la nación
–sión
Examples: la tensión, la presión, la pasión
-dad
Examples: la habilidad, la edad, la capacidad, la bondad, la sinceridad, la maldad….
–ía
Examples: la poesía, la filosofía, la teoría, la energía
Exceptions: el día, el tranvía…
–itis
Examples: la bronquitis, la otitis
–za
Examples: la cabeza, la cerveza, la cereza, la pureza
Influence of a noun’s gender in other words of the sentence
In Spanish sentences, articles and adjectives need to match the gender and number of the noun they are connected with.
Example:
El niño pequeño está contento.
The small boy is happy.
If we make that sentence about a girl instead, all articles and adjectives connected with “niña” need to match the feminine gender:
La niña pequeña está contenta.
The small girl is happy.
Practice
Quiz
Take a short Quiz about the gender of nouns:
Plural of Nouns in Spanish – Learn and Practice
Spanish Preterite Tense – Learn and Practice
Spanish Subject Pronouns – Learn and Practice
un, una, unos, unas – Spanish Indefinite Articles
Spanish contractions AL and DEL – Learn and Practice
Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive – Learn and Practice
Question Words in Spanish – Learn and Practice
“Sin embargo” in Spanish – Meaning and Use