1.3.1

Noun Endings

Test yourself

Common Noun Endings

Spanish noun endings change depending on if there are 1 object or more than 1 object (plural) and whether the noun is masculine or feminine. 'o', 'a', 'os' and 'as' are the most common endings.

Illustrative background for 'o' - masculine singularIllustrative background for 'o' - masculine singular ?? "content

'o' - masculine singular

  • El verano.
    • The summer.
  • El ancho.
    • The width.
  • El pedazo.
    • The piece.
Illustrative background for 'a' - feminine singularIllustrative background for 'a' - feminine singular ?? "content

'a' - feminine singular

  • La niebla.
    • The fog.
  • La falta.
    • The lack, the error.
  • La plata (🥈).
    • Silver.
Illustrative background for 'os' - masculine pluralIllustrative background for 'os' - masculine plural ?? "content

'os' - masculine plural

  • Los invitados.
    • The guests.
  • Los miembros.
    • The members.
  • Los riesgos (⚠️).
    • The risks.
Illustrative background for 'as' - feminine pluralIllustrative background for 'as' - feminine plural ?? "content

'as' - feminine plural

  • Las barras (de pan) (🥖).
    • The loaves (of bread).
  • Las cucharas (🥄).
    • The spoons.
  • Las estrellas (⭐).
    • The stars.
Illustrative background for ExceptionsIllustrative background for Exceptions ?? "content

Exceptions

  • There are masculine words that use the article 'el' but end in '-a'.
    • el problema - the problem
    • el mapa - the map
  • There are also feminine words that end in '-o' and use the article 'la':
    • la mano - the hand
    • la radio - the radio
Illustrative background for Other exceptionsIllustrative background for Other exceptions ?? "content

Other exceptions

  • There are feminine words that end in '-a', but use 'el' instead of 'la' to sound better.
    • el agua - the water
  • A mixed group with masculine and feminine nouns automatically applies the masculine plural ending.
    • For example, if we have a group of boys and girls, we would say 'los chicos'.

Other Noun Endings

Other common noun endings are: 'or', 'dad' and 'ión'. When these are in the plural, we add 'es'.

Illustrative background for Nouns ending in 'or'Illustrative background for Nouns ending in 'or' ?? "content

Nouns ending in 'or'

  • Nouns that end in 'or' are always masculine.
  • In the plural they add 'es' to the end.
    • E.g El color (🎨).
      • The colour.
    • E.g El dolor (😧).
      • The pain.
    • E.g Los colores (🎨).
      • The colours.
    • E.g Los dolores (😧).
      • The pains.
Illustrative background for Nouns ending in 'ión'Illustrative background for Nouns ending in 'ión' ?? "content

Nouns ending in 'ión'

  • These nouns are always feminine.
    • E.g La canción (🎶).
      • The song.
    • E.g. La estación (🚉).
      • The station.
  • In the plural, these nouns lose their accents.
    • E.g. Las canciones (🎶🎶).
      • The songs.
    • E.g. Las estaciones (🚉🚉).
      • The stations.
Illustrative background for Nouns ending in 'dad'Illustrative background for Nouns ending in 'dad' ?? "content

Nouns ending in 'dad'

  • These nouns are always feminine.
  • When they are in the plural they end in 'es'.
    • E.g. La sociedad.
      • The society.
    • E.g. La calidad.
      • The quality.
    • E.g. La ciudad (🏙️).
      • The city.
    • E.g. Las ciudades (🏙️🏙️).
      • The cities.

Jump to other topics

1The Basics

2Home & Abroad

3Education & Employment

4Personal Life & Relationships

5The World Around Us

6Social Activities, Fitness & Health

7Listening

8Common Tenses

9Important Verbs

10Advanced Tenses

11Extra Grammar

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium