When you’re learning Spanish, it’s really important to understand gender and number agreement.
This means you need to know how to match words based on whether they are masculine or feminine, and if they are singular (one) or plural (more than one).
Sometimes, though, things can get confusing because there are exceptions to these rules. Here are ten exceptions to remember:
Compound Nouns: These are nouns made by combining two or more words. They usually take the gender of the last word. For example, “abrelatas” (can opener) is masculine because of “lata” (can).
Nouns Ending in -ista: Words that end with -ista can refer to both genders. For example, “el artista” means the male artist, while “la artista” means the female artist.
Words with Both Masculine and Feminine Forms: Some words have both forms but are used in different ways. For instance, “el secretario” means the male secretary, and “la secretaria” means the female secretary.
Collective Nouns: These words can be masculine or feminine, but they don’t always match the gender of the people in the group. For example, “el grupo” (the group) is masculine, no matter who is in it.
"El agua": Although "agua" is feminine, we say “el agua” to make it sound better. If you add an adjective, it must match in gender, like “el agua fría” (the cold water).
Languages and Nationalities: The names of languages and nationalities have a gender. But they often don’t change when you use them as adjectives. For example, "un libro español" (a Spanish book) and "una chica española" (a Spanish girl).
Geographical Names: Some place names don’t follow the usual gender rules. For example, “el Perú” is masculine while “la India” is feminine.
Plural Forms: Usually, you make words plural by adding -s or -es. But some nouns have their own special plural forms. For example, “el pez” (the fish) becomes “los peces” (the fishes).
Foreign Words: Sometimes words from other languages keep their original gender. For example, “el café” (the coffee) or “la pizza” (the pizza).
Familial Terms: Words for family members can change gender depending on who you’re talking about. For example, “el hijo” means son, and “la hija” means daughter.
By keeping these exceptions in mind, you can improve your Spanish grammar. Always think about the context and specific situations when using gender and number agreement rules. Knowing these will help you speak and write Spanish more smoothly and correctly!
When you’re learning Spanish, it’s really important to understand gender and number agreement.
This means you need to know how to match words based on whether they are masculine or feminine, and if they are singular (one) or plural (more than one).
Sometimes, though, things can get confusing because there are exceptions to these rules. Here are ten exceptions to remember:
Compound Nouns: These are nouns made by combining two or more words. They usually take the gender of the last word. For example, “abrelatas” (can opener) is masculine because of “lata” (can).
Nouns Ending in -ista: Words that end with -ista can refer to both genders. For example, “el artista” means the male artist, while “la artista” means the female artist.
Words with Both Masculine and Feminine Forms: Some words have both forms but are used in different ways. For instance, “el secretario” means the male secretary, and “la secretaria” means the female secretary.
Collective Nouns: These words can be masculine or feminine, but they don’t always match the gender of the people in the group. For example, “el grupo” (the group) is masculine, no matter who is in it.
"El agua": Although "agua" is feminine, we say “el agua” to make it sound better. If you add an adjective, it must match in gender, like “el agua fría” (the cold water).
Languages and Nationalities: The names of languages and nationalities have a gender. But they often don’t change when you use them as adjectives. For example, "un libro español" (a Spanish book) and "una chica española" (a Spanish girl).
Geographical Names: Some place names don’t follow the usual gender rules. For example, “el Perú” is masculine while “la India” is feminine.
Plural Forms: Usually, you make words plural by adding -s or -es. But some nouns have their own special plural forms. For example, “el pez” (the fish) becomes “los peces” (the fishes).
Foreign Words: Sometimes words from other languages keep their original gender. For example, “el café” (the coffee) or “la pizza” (the pizza).
Familial Terms: Words for family members can change gender depending on who you’re talking about. For example, “el hijo” means son, and “la hija” means daughter.
By keeping these exceptions in mind, you can improve your Spanish grammar. Always think about the context and specific situations when using gender and number agreement rules. Knowing these will help you speak and write Spanish more smoothly and correctly!