Spanish Noun Gender and Pluralization Rules

Vocabulary and rule flashcards covering Spanish noun genders, pluralization rules, exceptions, and specific vocabulary items from the practice activities.

Plural Rule A (Vowel Ending)

Nouns ending in a vowel form their plural by adding -s (e.g., el chico -> los chicos, la maleta -> las maletas, el video -> los videos).

Plural Rule B (Consonant Ending)

Nouns ending in a consonant form their plural by adding -es (e.g., el profesor -> los profesores, la nacionalidad -> las nacionalidades).

Plural Rule C (Z Ending)

Nouns ending in -z form their plural by changing the -z to -ces (e.g., el lápiz -> los lápices).

Plural Rule D (Accented Ending)

Nouns with an accent on the final syllable drop the accent mark and add -es to form the plural (e.g., la lección -> las lecciones, el autobús -> los autobuses, la conversación -> las conversaciones).

Mixed-Gender Plural Rule

A group containing even one male uses the masculine plural form (e.g., 1 pasajero + 2 pasajeras = 3 pasajeros; 2 profesoras + 1 profesor = 3 profesores).

El mapa

Masculine noun exception ending in -a, meaning 'the map' (plural: los mapas).

El día

Masculine noun exception ending in -a, meaning 'the day' (plural: los días).

La mano

Feminine noun exception ending in -o, meaning 'the hand' (plural: las manos).

Masculine Nouns Ending in -ma

Nouns ending in -ma, such as el problema and el tema, take the masculine article 'el'.

Feminine Nouns Ending in -ción, -sión, and -dad

Nouns ending in -ción, -sión, or -dad take the feminine article 'la' (e.g., la administración, la decisión, la ciudad, la comunidad).

Dual-Gender Nouns (el/la)

Nouns whose spelling remains identical for both masculine and feminine, changing only the article (e.g., el/la estudiante, el/la turista).

El joven / Los jóvenes

Noun meaning 'the young person'; adds an accent mark in the plural form (los jóvenes / las jóvenes) to preserve correct stress.

El cuaderno

Masculine noun meaning 'the notebook' (plural: los cuadernos).

La mochila

Feminine noun meaning 'the backpack' (plural: las mochilas).

El diccionario

Masculine noun meaning 'the dictionary' (plural: los diccionarios).