🚻 Masculine or Feminine? Unraveling Spanish's Gender Rules

Updated Newsletter!

Author

Alejandro Nunez
May 14, 2024

¡Hola a todos!

I've been inspired by other newsletters I follow to improve ours. I will structure it into different sections. Here's what you can expect in future emails:

  1. Cita o Refrán de la Semana (Quote or Saying of the Week)

  2. Clase de la Semana (Lesson of the Week)

  3. Quiz de la Semana (Quiz of the Week)

  4. Titulares en Español (Headlines in Spanish)

¡Vamos a comenzar!

1. Refrán de la Semana:

“No dejes para mañana lo que puedes hacer hoy”

Do you have a similar saying in your native language?

2. Clase de la Semana: Gender Rules

Spanish learners (all levels) often find it hard to remember the rules that make a noun or adjective masculine or feminine. Here are some key gender rules to remember:

  • Gender applies to nouns and adjectives, not verbs.

  • When describing a noun, the adjective must agree in gender with it.

  • Definite (el, la, los, las) and indefinite articles (un, una) also show gender agreement with nouns.

The first step to improving your understanding of Gender Rules en Español is learning what makes a noun masculine or feminine. Here are a few rules to remember with examples:

  • Nouns that end in “o” are usually masculine

Examples: El libro (the book) - El perro (the dog) - El zapato (the shoe) - El bolígrafo (the pen) - El amigo (the friend).

  • Nouns that end in “a” are usually feminine.

Examples: La mesa (the table) - La casa (the house) - La ventana (the window) - La silla (the chair) - La guitarra (the guitar).

  • Some nouns do not follow the “o” and “a” rules.

Examples: El día (the day) - El mapa (the map) - La mano (the hand) - La radio (the radio) - El planeta (the planet).

  • Nouns that end in “dad,” “tud,” “umbre,” “sión,” or “ción” are feminine.

Examples: La ciudad (the city) - La actitud (the attitude) - La costumbre (the custom) - La televisión (the television) - La canción (the song)

  • Nouns that end in ‘e’ are usually masculine.

Examples: El coche (the car) - El aire (the air) - El hombre (the man) - El puente (the bridge) - El mensaje (the message)

  • Nouns that end in “ma” are usually masculine.

Examples: El problema (the problem) - El sistema (the system) - El programa (the program) - El tema (the topic) - El clima (the climate)

While it may feel like a lot to absorb at first, these rules provide a helpful guide. Practice and exposure will help you get the hang of it. And don't worry, gender only applies to nouns and adjectives, not verbs.

Keep practicing, and soon you'll be navigating Spanish like a pro!

3. Quiz: Gender Rules

Get ready to put your Spanish knowledge to the test with our quiz section! This segment allows you to challenge yourself on the main topic of this week's newsletter, ‘Gender Rules.’ 

4. Titulares en Español:

Catch up on the latest headlines from different news outlets en Español.

Deportes

Ciencia y Tecnología

Internacional

I hope you've found it both informative and engaging. Remember, learning Spanish is a journey, and every step you take brings you closer to fluency.

‘Mastering Spanish Together’ is a once-weekly newsletter for Spanish learners. In it, I share updates, tips, and resources to enhance your Spanish learning experience.

Muchas gracias por tu interés en aprender Español.

Un abrazo,

Alejandro Nunez | Founder and Director

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