Spanish grammar: sustantivos: género y número

What this grammar point covers

In Spanish, nouns (sustantivos) have gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This means every noun is either masculine or feminine, and can be singular or plural.

When to use it

You use these forms whenever you use a noun in Spanish. The gender and number affect the articles (el, la, los, las) and sometimes the adjectives that go with the noun.

Key forms

• Masculine singular: el libro
• Feminine singular: la mesa
• Masculine plural: los libros
• Feminine plural: las mesas

Examples

Tips

• Most nouns ending in -o are masculine, and most ending in -a are feminine.
• To make most nouns plural, add -s if it ends in a vowel, or -es if it ends in a consonant.
• Always match the article (el, la, los, las) with the gender and number of the noun.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some nouns ending in -a are masculine (el problema), and some ending in -o are feminine (la mano).
• Some nouns have the same form for masculine and feminine (el/la estudiante).