Spanish nouns and articles

What is a definite article in Spanish?

A definite article is used for a specific noun, equivalent to "the" in English. In Spanish, they are el, la, los, and las, and they agree in gender and number with the noun.

List the Spanish definite articles.

el (masculine singular), la (feminine singular), los (masculine plural), las (feminine plural).

Give an example of a definite article with a masculine singular noun.

el chico (the boy).

Give an example of a definite article with a feminine singular noun.

la chica (the girl).

Give an example of a definite article with a masculine plural noun

los chicos (the boys).

Give an example of a definite article with a feminine plural noun.

las chicas (the girls).

What is an indefinite article in Spanish?

An indefinite article is used for non-specific nouns, equivalent to "a," "an," or "some" in English. In Spanish, they are un, una, unos, and unas, and they agree in gender and number with the noun.

List the Spanish indefinite articles.

un (masculine singular), una (feminine singular), unos (masculine plural), unas (feminine plural).

Give an example of an indefinite article with a masculine singular noun.

un amigo (a friend).

Give an example of an indefinite article with a feminine singular noun.

una amiga (a friend).

Give an example of an indefinite article with a masculine plural noun.

unos amigos (some friends).

Give an example of an indefinite article with a feminine plural noun.

unas amigas (some friends).

How do definite articles agree with nouns in Spanish?

Definite articles (el, la, los, las) must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the nouns they modify.

How do indefinite articles agree with nouns in Spanish?

Indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas) must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the nouns they modify.

When are definite articles used in Spanish?

Definite articles are used when talking about specific nouns, similar to "the" in English.

When are indefinite articles used in Spanish?

Indefinite articles are used when talking about non-specific nouns, similar to "a," "an," or "some" in English.

What is a noun in Spanish?

A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. In Spanish, nouns have both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).

What determines the gender of a Spanish noun?

All Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine. Gender is determined by rules, but there are exceptions, so it’s best to learn nouns with their definite article.

What is the general rule for masculine nouns?

Nouns that refer to males or end in -o are generally masculine, e.g., el estudiante (the male student), el libro (the book).

What is the general rule for feminine nouns?

Nouns that refer to females or end in -a are generally feminine, e.g., la estudiante (the female student), la computadora (the computer).

Which endings typically indicate feminine nouns?

Nouns ending in -ción, -sión, -tad, or -dad are usually feminine, e.g., la televisión, la conversación, la amistad, la electricidad.

Which nouns ending in -ma are often masculine?

Many nouns ending in -ma are masculine, e.g., el programa (the program), el problema (the problem).

Name some nouns that don’t follow typical gender patterns

Exceptions include la mano (feminine, the hand), el mapa (masculine, the map), el lápiz (masculine, the pencil), la luz (feminine, the light).

Why should you learn nouns with their definite article?

Due to exceptions in gender rules, it’s best to memorize nouns with their definite article (e.g., el mapa, la mano) to avoid mistakes.

How do you make a Spanish noun plural if it ends in a vowel?

Add -s to the noun, e.g., el libro → los libros, la computadora → las computadoras, el estudiante → los estudiantes.

How do you make a Spanish noun plural if it ends in a consonant?

Add -es to the noun, e.g., el profesor → los profesores, el papel → los papeles, la universidad → las universidades.

What is the rule for making nouns ending in -z plural?

Change the z to c and add -es, e.g., el lápiz → los lápices, la luz → las luces.

What are the two key characteristics of Spanish nouns?

Spanish nouns have gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).

Give an example of a masculine singular noun and its plural form.

Singular: el libro (the book); Plural: los libros (the books).

Give an example of a feminine singular noun and its plural form.

Singular: la computadora (the computer); Plural: las computadoras (the computers).

Give an example of a noun ending in a consonant and its plural form.

Singular: el profesor (the teacher); Plural: los profesores (the teachers).

Summarize the pluralization rules for Spanish nouns.

Vowel ending: Add -s (e.g., libro → libros).

• Consonant ending: Add -es (e.g., papel → papeles).

• -z ending: Change z to c, add -es (e.g., lápiz → lápices).