Spanish nouns: complete grammar

You nouns designate a class of variable words that name beings in general (people, animals, objects, places, feelings, etc.).

Thus, nouns are words that vary in gender (male and female), number (singular and plural) and degree (augmentative, comparative).

Classification of nouns (classification of nouns)

You nouns in spanish are classified into:

Simple noun (simple noun)

These are words formed by just one term.

Example:

• la house (the House)
• he ojo (the eye)
• there shirt (the shirt)
• he child (the boy)
• la calle (the street)
• he sun (the sun)

Compound noun (composite noun)

They are made up of two or more words.

Example:

• he windshield (the windshield)
• he paraguas (the umbrella)
• welcome (Welcome)
• he portafoto (the picture frame)
• sordomud (deaf mute)

Common noun (common noun)

These are words that indicate elements of the same class without naming them in particular, that is, they express a certain thing in general.

Examples:

• the personas (people)
• he teacher (the teacher)
• the woman (the woman)
• the city (the city)
• la montaña (the mountain)

Individual noun (individual noun)

Unlike the common noun, individual nouns express singularity, that is, they name something in a singular way.

Examples:

• the song (the song)
• the bird (the bird)
• he pencil (the pencil)

Concrete noun (concrete noun)

These are the words that exist concretely in the world, that is, that we can perceive through the senses.

Examples:

• he coach (the car)
• la kitchen (the kitchen)
• la pellet (the ball)
• la flower (the flower)

Abstract noun (abstract noun)

These are the words that we cannot perceive through the senses, that is, they indicate concepts, ideals, feelings and sensations.

Examples:

• la happiness (the happiness)
• la sadness (the sadness)
• the illusion (the illusion)
• la beauty (the beauty)
• O Amor (love)

Proper noun (proper noun)

These are words that indicate the names of people and places (states, cities, countries) and are written with an initial capital letter.

Examples:

• Luisa
• Madalena
• Porto Alegre
• Brazil
• Spain

Collective noun (collective noun)

These are words that name a group formed by elements of the same type.

Examples:

• cañaveral (cane field)
• archipelago (archipelago)
• jauria (pack)
• flota (fleet)

Primitive noun (primitive noun)

These are words that do not derive from others.

Examples:

• he pan (the bread)
• la calle (the street)
• la rose (the Rose)
• he human (the human)

Derived noun (derived noun)

These are words that derive or come from another word.

Examples:

• he baker (the Baker)
• the callejero (relative to the street, from the street)
• the callejon (alley)
• la rosal (the rose bush)
• the humanity (the humanity)

Countable noun (accountable noun)

These are words that can be counted; that we can count on.

Examples:

• the flowers (the flowers)
• the books (the books)

Countless noun (uncountable noun)

These are words that cannot be counted; that we cannot count.

Example:

• he sugar (the sugar)
• la salt (the salt)
• there harina (the flour)
• he air (the air)

Partitive noun (partitive noun)

These are words that indicate the division of something.

Example:

• la mitad (the half)
• a third (one third)
• a room (a bedroom)

Multiple noun (multiple noun)

These are words that indicate the multiplication of something.

Example:

• double or double (double)
• triple or triple (triple)
• quadruple (quadruple)

Genre of nouns (kind of nouns)

As in the Portuguese language, in Spanish the nouns vary in gender.

However, be aware that many words in Portuguese, considered feminine or masculine, in Spanish change gender (heterogeneric nouns).

Example:

• he tree (the tree)
• there nose (the nose)
• he puente (the bridge)
• la blood (the blood)
• la salt (the salt)
• he travels (the trip)

To better understand the gender of nouns, it is worth remembering how defined articles are (defined articles) in Spanish:

• he: O
• the: you
• There: a
• las: at

Male nouns (male nouns)

Male nouns in Spanish follow the following rules:

-o and -or termination

In general, words ending in -O and -or are masculine.

Examples:

• he perro (the dog)
• he child (the boy)
• he lord (the Lord)

Exceptions:he cures (the priest), he poet (the poet), la flower (the flower), la labor (the work)

Termination -act, -ambre or -an

Nouns ending in -act, -ambre or -an are male.

Examples:

• he travels (the trip)
• he hambre (the hunger)
• the makeup (the makeup)
• he pan (the bread)
• the volcan (the volcano)

Days of the week, months, numbers and colors

Nouns that indicate days of the week, months of the year, numbers and colors are masculine.

Examples:

• el lunes (Monday)
• he fever (the February)
• the four (the four)
• he yellow (the yellow one)

Feminine nouns (female nouns)

Feminine nouns in Spanish follow the following rules:

Termination -The

Generally, words ending in -a are feminine.

Examples:

• la perra (the dog)
• la señora (the Lady)
• there baby (the girl)
• la school (the school)

Exception: la model (the model)

Termination -umbre, -d, -hey, -ie, -z, -tion, -sión, -zon, -nza, -company and -ance

Nouns ending in -umbre, -d, -hey, -ie, -z, -tion, -sión, -zon, -nza, -company, -ance, are generally female.

Examples:

• there uncertainty (the uncertainty)
• la costum (the custom)
• la happiness (the happiness)
• the university (the University)
• there head (the head)
• la baldness (the baldness)
• there nose (the nose)
• the demonstration (the demonstration)
• the confusion (the confusion)
• la comezón (the itch)
• la dance (dance)
• the slaughter (the killing)
• la avarice (the greed)
• la patience (the patience)
• there sentence (the sentence)

Alphabet Letters Gender

The nouns that indicate the names of the letters of the alphabet are feminine.

Examples:

• there "well” (the “b”)
• there "ç” (the “c”)
• there "d” (the “d”)
• there "hache” (the “h”)

Keep an eye! (Ojo!)

Some nouns do not follow the basic rule, being formed by totally different words for masculine and feminine.

Examples:

• the hombre (The man) - the woman (the woman)
• the man (the male) - there female (the female)
• the priest (the father) - la mother (the mother)
• the horse (the horse) - la mare (the mare)

Pay attention to animal names. Some are unchanged, as the gender is indicated by the words "female” (female) and “male” (male).

Examples:

• the male snake (the male snake) - la serpent female (the female snake)
• La spider male (the male spider) - the female spider (the female spider)
• male giraffe (the male giraffe) - the female jiraffe (the female giraffe)
• the male elephant (the male elephant) - he female elephant (the female elephant)
• El ratón male (the male rat) - he ratón female (the female rat)

Other words also do not follow the basic rules and have their gender indicated through the article that precedes them. These words are called invariants.

Examples:

• the young (the young man) - la young (the young woman)
• he student (the student) - there student (the student)
• the journalist (the journalist) - there journalist (the journalist)
• the artist (the artist) - there artist (the artist)
• the tourist (the tourist) - there tourist (the tourist)
• the cyclist (the cyclist) - there cyclist (the cyclist)
• El singing (the singer) - there singing (the singer)

Homonymous nouns (namesake nouns)

Some nouns are called homonyms, as they change their meaning according to the article (male or female) that precedes them.

Examples:

• he cures (the priest) - la cure (the cure)
• he comet (the comet) - la comet (the kite)
• cholera (the disease) - la anger (anger)
• the front (the front) - there in front (the forehead)
• the guard (the bus conductor) - there guard (the guardianship)

the calls heterosemanticsthese are words that have the same spelling or similar pronunciation, however, they have different meanings in Portuguese and Spanish.

Number of nouns (number of nouns)

Nouns vary in number, that is, they can appear in the singular or in the plural.

Singular

A singular noun is a term that expresses a unit (one).

Examples:

• the flower (the flower)
• the house (the House)
• the emotion (the emotion)
• he month (the month)
• El pez (the fish)
• the pencil (the pencil)
• boligrapher (the pen)

Plural form

A plural noun is a term that expresses a quantity equal to or greater than 2.

The plural is usually indicated by the addition of -s in the case of words ending in vowels, and by adding -are you in the case of words ending in consonants.

To form the plural of nouns ending in -z, just add the ending -dogs.

Examples:

• the flowers (the flowers)
• the houses (The houses)
• the emotions (the emotions)
• Los peces (the fishes)
• the months (the months)
• the pencils (the pencils)
• the bolígrafos (the pens)

Stay tuned! (¡ojo!)

Some words are invariant and do not change their number, that is, they are the same in the singular and in the plural.

Examples:

• the crisis - the crisis (the crisis/the crises)
• the bus - the buses (the bus/buses)
• he pararays - the rays (the lightning rod/the lightning rods)

Noun degree (grade of nouns)

In Spanish, nouns can vary in degree and are classified in two ways.

Augmentative degree (augmentative degree)

Words that indicate the idea of ​​increase and greatness, and usually occur as follows:

• -on (masculine) -whoa (feminine). Example: woman (woman) > woman (big woman)
• -azo (masculine) -bad luck (feminine). Example: pellet (ball) > pellet
• -oh (masculine) -oh (feminine). Example: friend (friend) > friend (Buddy)
• -think (masculine) -he thinks (feminine). Example: rich (rich) > ricocha (rich)
• -think (masculine) -schooner (feminine). Example: rich (rich) > ricachon (rich)

Diminutive degree (diminutive degree)

Indicates the idea of ​​reduction and reduction. It usually has the following endings:

• -very (masculine) -ok (feminine): coffee (coffee) > cafecito (coffee)
• -illo (masculine) -illa (feminine): cow (cow) > vaquilla (kitty)
• -ich (masculine) -stay (feminine): book (book) > librico (booklet)
• -in (masculine) -ina (feminine): chiquito (small) > chiquitin (small)

Video about nouns in Spanish

Watch the video below with tips on gender and number of nouns in Spanish.

GENDER AND NUMBER OF NOUNS | Summary of Spanish for Enem

Want to practice your Spanish skills? Don't miss the contents below!

• Illustrated Spanish Hour Activities
• Text Interpretation in Spanish with Feedback (High School)
• Exercises on definite and indefinite articles in Spanish
• Main slang in Spanish (Spain and Latin America)
• Spanish language grammar

Exercises

Do the exercises below and test your knowledge of Spanish nouns.

1 (UnirG-TO/2018)

We would like to express our gratitude to all the people who have participated today in the meetings that have been organized in front of councils across the country. Miles of citizens and citizens, we are focused to show our firm will to resolve through dialogue what our rulers do not know how to resolve until now.

We would also like to thank the politicians who have been considered a citizen or citizen but have understood that today it was not the day to make declarations to the press to seize protagonism. We need valiant politicians at the level of the citizenship that has been expressed today, who will be able to resolve this situation through dialogue and democracy. We do not want to recognize self-erected spokesmen who try to use the ciudadana demonstrations as a background screen for their campaign.

Our representatives have been able to talk a lot during many years and no han hecho. Today is the day when citizenship is available to demand that they do their work, that they dialogue, that they use the telephone more than the television cameras. Six years after the 15M we repeat: we are not merchandise in the hands of politicians and bankers.

We remain mobilized, active and alert for the opening of the dialogue to be opened, so that we can join them days of wisdom, listening and conversation are impressive in the face of hatred, the dark and the despair. We continue filling with white balconies, plazas and social networks ¡Continuará!

twitter.com/hablamos70

facebook.com/unpaismjorquesusgobernantes

_{Source: http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20171007parlem-hable-mos-manifestacion-dialogo-6338176 (Accessed on October 07th 2017, 6:15 pm).}

There are several words in the text, such as “personas”, “concentraciones”, “ciudadanos”, “gobernantes” and “portavoces”. The plural formation in Spanish, in principle, is very easy; however, there is a series of nouns that present some irregularities. Below, please indicate the alternative in which the plurals of: the buey, an athlete, the crisis, a table, the exam and the pencil are correctly presented.

a) los bueises, some athletes, las crisies, some marquises, los examnes and los Lápizes.
b) the bueies, the athletes, the crisies, the marquises, the exams and the lapicies.
c) the bueyes, the athletes, the crisis, the couches, the exams and the pencils.
d) the bueys, the athletes, the crisises, the marquises, the exams and the pencils.

See Answer

Correct alternative: c) children, athletes, crisis, couches, exams and pencils.

Although the other alternatives present answer options graphically similar to the correct forms, they do not follow rules.

Note the correct plural formation rules below:

1. buey: to make the plural of nouns ending in y, just add -es to the end of the word. (buey > bueyes)

2. athlete: to make the plural of nouns ending in a vowel, just add -s at the end of the word. (athlete > athletes)

3. marquise: to make the plural of nouns ending in a vowel, just add -s at the end of the word. (table > couches)

4. examn: to make the plural of nouns ending in a consonant, just add -es to the end of the word.

It is important to know that, so that the stressed syllable of the plural word remains the same as that of the word from the singular, it may be necessary to graphically accentuate it or remove the graphic accent in the form of plural form.

This is what happens with the word examn. Its stressed syllable is xa, as it is a flat or grave word (paroxytone). For this syllable to remain the stressed syllable in the plural form, it is necessary to accentuate the word graphically. (exam > exams)

5. pencil: To form the plural of nouns ending in -z, just replace -z with -c and add -es to the end of the word. (pencil > pencils)

2. (PUC-Minas/2010) All the following words form the plural following the same rule, EXCEPT

a) player
b) chico
c) child
d) balloon

See Answer

Correct alternative: b) chico

See the plural formation rule for the words provided as an alternative:

a) jugador: to make the plural of nouns ending in a consonant (except -s), just add -es at the end of the word. (player > players)

b) chico: to make the plural of nouns ending in a vowel (except í), just add -s at the end of the word. (chico > chicos)

c) infantile: to make the plural of nouns ending in a consonant (except -s), just add -es at the end of the word. (infant > infant)

d) balón: to make the plural of nouns ending in a consonant (except -s), just add -es at the end of the word. (balloon > balloons)

Of all the four words, the only one that presents a different plural formation rule is alternative b) chico.

3. (ESCS-DF/2009)

From the Editorial of LA NACION

Some have posted on Juan Cruz's blog -writer, journalist and deputy director of El País, in Madrid-, a reflection contained in El principito, in the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “I have always loved the desert. You can sit on a medano without seeing anything, without seeing anything, and without embargo… something shines in the magical silence”. The narrator stated that “what beautifies the desert is only that somewhere hides a well of water”.

Juan Cruz came to Buenos Aires with Pilar, his wife and journalist like him, to present Muchas veces you asked me to he will tell these years (Alfaguara), his last book, a poetic essay on time, pain, human relationships and journalism. It is about the absence of friends, who have inherited about them that the writer will turn to to heal them. As in the last of the books

(Portrait of a naked man and Ojalá octobre), in Many times… Juan Cruz speaks words to feelings that, many times, silently hover in the heart of the man.

The correspondence between singular and plural that is wrong in:

a) the scar - the scars
b) el agua - las aguas
c) el dolor - them dolores
d) el pozo - los pozos
e) once in a while - sometimes

See Answer

Correct alternative: c) el dolorlas dolores

To conclude that alternative c) is the correct option, it is necessary to know the rules of plural formation of nouns in Spanish.

Check out the explanations below:

a) la scar - las scars: to make the plural of nouns ending in -z, just replace -z with -c and add -es. (scar > scars)

b) el agua - las aguas: to make the plural of nouns ending in a vowel (except –í), just add -s at the end of the word. (water > water)

c) el dolor - los dolores: to make the plural of nouns ending in consonants (except -s), just add -es at the end of the word. (pain > pain)

d) el pozo - los pozos: to make the plural of nouns ending in a vowel (except –í), just add -s (pozo > pozos)

e) la vez - las veces: to make the plural of nouns ending in -z, just replace -z by -c and add -es. (time > times)

As you can see from the above explanations, the plurals of the nouns are correct, however you also need to take into account the accompanying articles.

Article la, for example, can be translated as a. The plural of la is las.

The article el can be translated as o. The plural of el is los.

Therefore, the incorrect option is alternative c) since the word dolor is a masculine noun and therefore the singular is el dolor and the plural los dolores.

You will probably wonder why alternative a) is correct. Check the explanation:

The word water is a feminine noun that begins with atonic. For this reason, the definite article el is used to avoid cacophony.

However, as there is no risk of cacophony in the plural, the definite article used maintains its feminine form. In other words, for the singular l agua we have the plural las aguas.

4. (Uece-2010) The plural form of the word “specimen” is

a) specimens
b) specimens
c) specimens
d) specimens

See Answer

Correct alternative: a) specimens

The word specimen is a noun that ends in a consonant.

To make the plural of nouns that end in a consonant (except -s), just add -es to the end of the word.

Therefore, alternatives b) and d) are discarded. There remain alternatives a) and c) and the only difference between them is the accentuation.

The word specimens must be accented because it is an sobredrújula (word whose stressed syllable is the syllable before the antepenultimate syllable) and every sobredrújula is accented.

Therefore, the only possible correct option is alternative a) specimens