Rules

Question 1

What are the general rules?

Answer 1

-Most nouns ending in -o are masculine and nouns ending in -a are feminine.
el cartero, la playa
-Nouns that identify female beings generally end in -a
la hija, la enfermera

Question 2

What are the exceptions for masculine articles?

Memorize these endings.

Answer 2

Nouns with the following endings are masculine:

• ama and -ema (el clima)
• ambre and -aje (el equipaje)
• or and -án (el amor, el volcan)

Question 3

What are the exceptions for feminine articles?

Memorize these endings.

Answer 3

Nouns with the following endings are feminine:
-o (la foto, la mano, la moto)
-ción and sión (la canción , la dirección)
-dad and -tad (la amistad - friendship, la ciudad)
-ie, -eza, -sis, -itis (la crisis, la tristeza - sadness)
-tud and -umbre (la costumbre - custom, tradition,
la virtud - virtue)

Question 4

What are irregular forms of noun articles?

Answer 4

Nouns ending in -e can be masculine or feminine. You just need to be familiar.
Ex: el padre, la madre, el elefante

Question 5

Other Exceptions

Answer 5

Some nouns do not fit into any of the previous groups. Memorization and frequent practice will help you learn their gender.
el cine - movies
el examen - exam
la vez - turn, time
la mente - mind

Question 6

Exception: Nouns designating professions and indviduals may end in -a, -ante, e, or -ista and in general may designate either a male or female person.

Answer 6

el/la atleta - athelete
el/la cantante - singer
el/la gerente - manager
el/la interprete - interpreter

Question 7

Nouns of professions, of people in general, and names of some animals that end in -és, -n, ón, and -or are masculine. They add -a to create the feminine form and drop the accent mark.

Answer 7

el campeón/la campeona - champion
el director/la directora - principal, director
el león/la leona - lion
el francés/la francesa - Frenchman, Frenchwoman

Question 8

Some nouns are spelled the same for masculine and feminine, and only the article changes.

Answer 8

el joven/la joven - young man/young woman
el modelo/la modelo - male model/female model
el testigo/la testigo - male witness/female witness

Question 9

Other nouns refererring to people change both the ending and the article in the masculine and feminine forms.

Answer 9

el muchacho/la muchacha - boy/girl
el niño/la niña - boy/girl/child
el novio/la novia - fiancé/fiancée

Question 10

Some nouns are invariable; that is, they designate both male and female individuals.The article doe not change with invariable nouns.

Answer 10

el ángel - angel
el ser - being
la victima - victim

Question 11

Feminine nouns that begin with a stressed a- or ha- are feminine but for purposes of pronunciation, take a masculine definite article in the single form.

Answer 11

el agua - water
el águila - eagle
el alma - soul
el arma - weapon
el aula - classroom