Nouns and Articles

Nouns and Articles

(Los sustantivos y los artculos)

It is often said that a noun is a person, place or thing. That is
true but, in fact, a noun is anything we can put a name on.
Therefore, even words that refer to abstract concepts such as
love, life, anger, and so on, are nouns. In Spanish, one of the
words for noun is nombre, which simply means name.
In Spanish, nouns are classified into two

groups: masculine and feminine
To identify our masculine nouns, we will start with the
indefinite masculine article un, which in English is a or an
Masculine nouns
un libro
a book
un rub
a ruby
un men
a menu
un reloj
a watch
Normally, nouns
ending in o, ,
or a consonant
are masculine.
Of course, there
are exceptions.
One is una mano.
Note: The fact that a noun is masculine, other than those that denote
human beings, has nothing whatever to do with sexual attributes.

Words ending in or (accented) are fairly rare in
Spanish and, as mentioned, are normally masculine.
un colibr
a hummingbird
un gur
a guru
un esqu
a ski
un igl
an igloo
un rub
a ruby
un men
a menu
Words ending in i or u (unaccented) are even more

rare, and may be masculine or feminine.
un/una cursi
a pretentious person (male/female)
una tribu
a tribe

To identify our masculine nouns, we will start with the
indefinite masculine article un, which in English is a or an
Masculine nouns
un hombre
In addition, nouns
that denote male
persons are normally
masculine.
a man
un muchacho a boy
un profesor
a professor (m)
un doctor
a doctor (m)

To identify our feminine nouns, we will start with the
indefinite feminine article una, which in English is a or an
Feminine nouns
una mesa
a table
una ciudad a city

una nacin a nation
Normally, nouns
ending in a, ad, cin,
or sin are feminine.
Two exceptions
are un mapa and
un da.
Note: Again, the fact that a noun is feminine, other than those that
denote human beings, has nothing to do with sexual attributes.

To identify our feminine nouns, we will start with the
indefinite feminine article una, which in English is a or an
Feminine nouns
In addition, nouns
that denote female
persons are normally
feminine or have a
feminine form that is
the counterpart of the
masculine.
una mujer
a woman
una muchacha a girl

una profesora
a professor (f)
una doctora
a doctor (f)
Remember!
Nouns ending in o, , , or a consonant are normally masculine
Nouns ending in a, ad, cin, or sin are normally feminine
Words that end with e are suspect, that is, they may be
masculine or they may be feminine
nouns ending in e
Masculine
Feminine
un coche
un bote
un frente
un bate
a car
a can
a front
a bat (baseball)
una noche
una calle
una frente
una peste
a night
a street
a forehead
a plague
un bache
a pothole
una llave
a key
When in doubt about the gender of a noun ending in e, or any noun,

ask a native speaker or your teacher, or look it up in a dictionary.
Words that end with -ma are usually masculine

un problema
un tema
un sistema
un diploma
un aroma
un programa
un diagrama
un clima
But there are a few exceptions:

una trama
una diadema
una estratagema
Definite and indefinite articles

The indefinite article (un, una) refers to a non-specific item.
Es un libro. Its a book, any old

book.
The definite article (el, la) refers to a specific item.
Es el libro que usamos en la clase de

espaol.
Its the book we use in the
Spanish class.

The indefinite article (un, una) refers to a non-specific item.
Es una silla. Its a chair, any old

chair.
The definite article (el, la) refers to a specific item.
Es la silla que usamos en la clase de

espaol.
Its the chair we use in the

Spanish class.

The plural indefinite article (unos, unas) can be translated as
some or a few.
Hay unos libros en la sala de clase.

There are a few books in the
classroom.
Hay unas sillas tambin.

There are some chairs,
too.

The plural definite article (los, las), just like the singular, refers
to specific things.
Son los libros para la clase de espaol.

Theyre the books for the
Spanish class.
Son las sillas para los

estudiantes.
Theyre the chairs for the
students.
Summary of definite and indefinite articles

The masculine indefinite articles are:
un
unos
a, an
some, a few
un libro = a book
unos libros = some
books
The masculine definite articles are:
el
los
the
the (English
has no plural
form for the)
el libro = the book

los libros = the books
Summary of definite and indefinite articles

The feminine indefinite articles are:
una
unas
a, an
some, a few
una silla = a chair

unas sillas = some
chairs
The feminine definite articles are:
la
las
the
the
la silla = the chair

las sillas = the chairs
Pluralization
(La pluralizacin)
Nouns are pluralized differently in Spanish than in English.
If a noun ends in a, , e, , o, , i or u, we simply add s.

Singular
casa
mam
llave
caf
libro
domin
cursi
tribu
Plural
casas
mams
llaves
cafs
libros
domins
cursis
tribus
Pluralization
(La pluralizacin)
The rare word that ends in or can be pluralized by

adding either s or es.
Singular
colibr
esqu
rub
igl
men
tab
Plural
colibrs/colibres
esqus/esques
rubs/rubes
igls/igles
mens/menes
tabs/tabes
Pluralization
(La pluralizacin)
If a noun ends in a consonant, we add es.

Singular
borrador
orden
papel
pared
reloj
seor
Plural
borradores
rdenes
papeles
paredes
relojes
seores
Pluralization
(La pluralizacin)
Polysyllabic words that end in s, and are stressed on any

syllable except the last one, maintain the same form in the
plural as in the singular. We show that they are plural by
using the plural article.
Singular
el lunes
el oasis
la tesis
Plural
los lunes
los oasis
las tesis
If stressed on the last syllable, they are pluralized normally.
el autobs
los autobuses
Pluralization
(La pluralizacin)
Generally, adjectives are pluralized just like nouns.
If an adjective ends in a vowel, we simply add s.

Singular
bonito
inteligente
Plural
bonitos
inteligentes
If an adjective ends in a consonant, we add es.
fcil
comn
fciles
comunes
Pluralization
(La pluralizacin)
When a noun or an adjective ends in z, we must change
the z to c before adding es.
Singular
nouns
adjectives
Plural
lpiz
luz
lpices
luces
feliz
audaz
felices
audaces
FIN

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Nouns and Articles

(Los sustantivos y los artculos)

In Spanish, nouns are classified into two

In Spanish, nouns are classified into two

Words ending in i or u (unaccented) are even more

a pretentious person (male/female)

In Spanish, nouns are classified into two

In Spanish, nouns are classified into two

una ciudad a city

In Spanish, nouns are classified into two

una muchacha a girl

When in doubt about the gender of a noun ending in e, or any noun,

Words that end with -ma are usually masculine

But there are a few exceptions:

Definite and indefinite articles

Es un libro. Its a book, any old

The definite article (el, la) refers to a specific item.

Es el libro que usamos en la clase de

Definite and indefinite articles

Es una silla. Its a chair, any old

The definite article (el, la) refers to a specific item.

Es la silla que usamos en la clase de

Its the chair we use in the

Definite and indefinite articles

Hay unos libros en la sala de clase.

Hay unas sillas tambin.

Definite and indefinite articles

Son los libros para la clase de espaol.

Son las sillas para los

Summary of definite and indefinite articles

The masculine definite articles are:

el libro = the book

Summary of definite and indefinite articles

una silla = a chair

The feminine definite articles are:

la silla = the chair

If a noun ends in a, , e, , o, , i or u, we simply add s.

The rare word that ends in or can be pluralized by

If a noun ends in a consonant, we add es.

Polysyllabic words that end in s, and are stressed on any

If stressed on the last syllable, they are pluralized normally.

If an adjective ends in a vowel, we simply add s.

If an adjective ends in a consonant, we add es.

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