Spanish nouns name concrete objects, groups, qualities, feelings, and other abstractions. Every Spanish noun has a conventional grammatical gender: masculine or feminine. This lesson introduces grammatical gender and shows how other words agree with a noun.
Grammatical gender is a system that classifies nouns as masculine or feminine. It is a property of the noun, not necessarily a statement about the biological sex or gender of what the noun refers to. For example, la mesa means “the table,” and mesa is grammatically feminine even though a table has no biological sex.
All flashcards
Common-gender noun
A noun with one form for different genders; an article or adjective signals the referent’s gender.
Heteronym
One of a pair of distinct nouns used for masculine and feminine referents, such as toro and vaca.
Affective suffix
A derivational suffix that adds expressive or lexical meaning, such as affection, smallness, or disapproval.
Diminutive
A form that can express smallness, affection, contempt, or brief duration, depending on context.
Gender-invariable adjective
An adjective with the same masculine and feminine form, such as grande.
Quiz questions
How does a common-gender Spanish noun typically show whether it refers to a masculine or feminine person?Answer: Its article or an agreeing adjective indicates the referent’s gender.
Which statement best describes gender endings on Spanish nouns?Answer: Endings offer clues, but they do not guarantee a noun’s gender.
What kind of change does an affective suffix usually make to a Spanish noun?Answer: It adds expressive or lexical meaning while usually keeping the word a noun.
What can the augmentative suffix -azo express in Spanish?Answer: Large size, clumsiness, or admiration, depending on the word and context.
How is an adjective usually formed when it precedes coordinated Spanish nouns, as in “enorme cuidado y precisión”?Answer: It is usually singular.
Based on the Wikipedia article Spanish nouns, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.