Parts of Speech
1. Sustantivos (Nouns)
Gender of Spanish nouns:
There are only two genders in Spanish—masculine and feminine. As there is no neuter gender, this means that
all Spanish nouns are categorized into masculine or feminine, whether they are living creatures or not. The
gender of a noun may be established by meaning but normally it is the word ending that determines if is
masculine or feminine. Definite articles (el, la, los, las) and indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas) normally
mark the gender of each noun.
I. Gender by meaning:
(A) In the case of human beings and common domestic animals and a few others, male beings are of
course masculine, and female ones feminine.
Masculine
Feminine
el hombre = man
el hijo = son
el tío = uncle
el panadero = baker (male)
el toro = bull
el perro = dog
el león = lion
la mujer = woman
la hija = daughter
la tía = aunt
la panadera = baker (female)
la vaca = cow
la perra = bitch (we’re talking of animals here)
la leona = lioness
However, for most animals, the gender of the word has no relevance to the sex of the animal.
el raton = mouse
el oso = bear
la rata = rat
la girafa = giraffe
(B) Many fruit trees are masculine, and their fruit feminine.
el cerezo = cherry tree
el manzano = apple tree
but
but
la cereza = cherry
la manzana = apple
Other masculine nouns include:
(A) Names of rivers, oceans, seas, lakes, mountains, regardless of ending:
el Guadiana, el Paraná, el Atlántico, el Caribe, el Titicaca, el Teide.
(B) Numbers, months and days:
un 75 por ciento (75 per cent), el martes (Tuesday), el próximo octubre (next October).
(C) Infinitives of verbs when used as nouns:
El fumar es malo para la salud. (smoking is bad for the health).
Other feminine nouns include:
(A) Letters of the alphabet: una g, una m.
(B) Names of islands: las islas Canarias is understood as las Canarias (Canaries)
(C) Medical terms ending in -osis or -itis: la diagnosis (diagnosis), la apendicitis (appendicitis).
II. Gender by ending:
-o, -a (masculine, feminine)
In many of the above examples you will have noticed that the nouns ending in -o are masculine, and those
ending in -a are feminine. This is indeed the case with most Spanish nouns ending in -o and -a.
el bolígrafo = ballpen
el brazo = arm
la carta = letter
la pierna = leg
With some nouns, the -o/-a ending not only changes the gender but also changes the meaning.
el libro = book
el puerto = port
el naranjo = orange tree
la libra = pound (sterling and weight)
la puerta = door
la naranja = orange (fruit)
Exceptions
There are some exceptions to the general rule, however.
(A) Nouns ending in -o which are feminine include:
la foto (la fotografía) = photo
la mano = hand
la moto (la motocicleta) = motorbike
la radio = radio (masculine in Spanish America)
(B) Nouns ending in -a which are masculine include many ending in -ma:
el anagrama = anagram
el fantasma = ghost
el clima = climate
el crucigrama = crossword
el drama = drama
el esquema = plan
el panorama = panorama
el pijama = pyjamas (pair of)
el programa = program
el sistema = system
el síntoma = symptom
el telegrama = telegram
el tema = theme, topic
(C) All nouns ending in -ista, which is invariable. (Many of these may also be used as adjectives)
el/la ciclista = cyclist
e/la comunlsta = communist
el/la futbolista = footballer
el/la derechlsta = right-winger (politician)
(D) Those ending in -cida are masculine.
el insecticida = insecticide
el suicida = suicide
(E) Those ending in a stressed vowel are masculine.
el champú = shampoo
el sofá = sofa, settee
(F) And also:
el mapa = map
el planeta = planet
el tranvía = tram, slow train, stopping train
el yoga = yoga
III. Other endings:
Other endings can also indicate gender.
(A) Masculine
 Nouns ending in -aje:
el aprendizaje = apprenticeship
el garaje = garage

Nouns ending -or:
el color = color
el paisaje = landscape
el viaje = trip
el valor = value
Exceptions: la labor (work, labor), la flor (flower), which are feminine.

Compound nouns:
el parrachoques = parachute
el rascacielos = skyscraper
el paraguas = umbrella
el abrelatas = can opener
(B) Feminine
 Nouns ending in -ion:
la estación = station, season
la misión = mission
la revolución = revolution
la canción = song
Exceptions: el camión (lorry, truck), el avión (plane), el gorrión (sparrow).

Nouns ending in -dad, -tad, tud:
la bondad = goodness, kindness
la voluntad = will

Nouns ending in -umbre:
la cumbre = summit, peak

la virtud = virtue
la juventud = youth
la incertidumbre = uncertainty
Nouns ending in -ie:
la superficie = surface
 Nouns ending in -is:
la crisis = crisis
Exceptions: el analisis (analysis), el énfasis (emphasis), el écstasis (ecstasy) and a few others.

Countries and regions are feminine if they end in unstressed -a. Otherwise they are usually masculine.
The article is in fact not often used with countries and regions
(Ia) España
(Ia) Andalucía
(Ia) Argentina
(la) Francia
(el) Canadá
(el) México
(el) Perú
(el) Aragón