The Basics of Spanish Nouns, Articles and Adjectives
A noun is a person, place or thing and in Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. In Spanish, the definite article (for example in English, the) agrees with the gender of the noun (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Some examples of definite articles are el, la. los, and las.
Singular Nouns
Masculine nouns that are singular in gender take on the definite article el. Tip: most nouns that end in –o are masculine. Try to pronounce the words below aloud.
el brazo | the elbow | el cuello | the neck |
el dedo | the toe | el estómago | the stomach |
el hombro | the shoulder | el mentón | the chin |
el pie | the foot | el pecho | the chest |
However, there are many nouns that do not end in –o; therefore, you should attempt to learn their definite articles as you learn the nouns. Here are some examples.
el bróculi | the broccoli | el cazador | the hunter |
el elefante | the elephant | el jardin | the garden |
el raton | the mouse | el tiburon | the shark |
Feminine singular nouns use the definite article la. Tip: most nouns that are feminine end in –a. Nouns that end in –ción, sión, -dad, -tad, or –tud are also feminine. Try to pronounce the words below aloud.
la amiga | the friend | la amistad | the friendship |
la actitud | the attitude | la bolsa | the bag |
la cama | the bed | la canción | the song |
la casa | the house | la ciudad | the city |
la hermana | the sister | la illusion | the illusion |
la mesa | the table | la muchacha | the girl |
la tienda | the store | la ventana | The window |
There are some nouns that can be masculine or feminine like those that end in –ista,(artista) or –nte.(estudiante). Tip: the article should indicate the gender of the noun.
