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Noun gender & plural
A1In Spanish every noun has a gender (usually -o masculine, -a feminine) and forms its plural with -s or -es.
Overview
In Spanish every noun has a gender (usually -o masculine, -a feminine) and forms its plural with -s or -es.
At a glance
- 1.Gender by ending: -o masculine, -a feminine
- 2.Gender exceptions
- 3.Plural on a vowel: + -s
- 4.Plural on a consonant: + -es
- 5.Plural of -z: z becomes -ces
Rules
51Gender by ending: -o masculine, -a feminine
Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine (el), nouns in -a usually feminine (la).
- El libro es nuevo. — The book is new.-o → masculine
- La casa es grande. — The house is big.-a → feminine
2Gender exceptions
Some words break the rule: el día, la mano, la foto, and -ma words like el problema are masculine.
- El día está soleado. — The day is sunny.-a but masculine
- La mano está fría. — The hand is cold.-o but feminine
- El problema es difícil. — The problem is difficult.-ma → masculine
3Plural on a vowel: + -s
If the noun ends in an unstressed vowel, just add -s.
- Tengo dos gatos. — I have two cats.gato → gatos
- Compro tres camisas. — I buy three shirts.camisa → camisas
4Plural on a consonant: + -es
If the noun ends in a consonant, add -es.
- Hay muchos árboles aquí. — There are many trees here.árbol → árboles
- Veo tres flores. — I see three flowers.flor → flores
5Plural of -z: z becomes -ces
If the noun ends in -z, the z changes to c in the plural and you add -es.
- Como dos veces al día. — I eat twice a day.vez → veces
- Tengo muchos lápices. — I have many pencils.lápiz → lápices
Test
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