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Guide · A1 · 5 min read
El or la? How to tell a Spanish noun’s gender
The short answer
Most Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine (el libro) and most ending in -a are feminine (la mesa). Nouns ending in -dad, -tad, -ción and -sión are feminine (la ciudad, la canción). Common exceptions: el día, el problema, el idioma, el mapa are masculine; la mano, la foto, la moto are feminine. For everything else, learn the noun with its el or la.
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Key points
- -o is usually masculine, -a usually feminine.
- -dad, -tad, -ción and -sión are feminine: la ciudad, la libertad, la canción.
- Many words ending in -ma are masculine: el problema, el idioma, el tema.
- Learn every noun with its article. That one habit solves the rest.
Why gender matters
Every Spanish noun is masculine or feminine, and the words around it change to match: el or la (the), un or una (a), and the endings of adjectives. Get the gender right and the rest of the sentence follows.
- Es un día bonito.It’s a lovely day.
- Esta flor es muy bonita.This flower is very pretty.
The endings that tell you
| Ending | Usually | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -o | masculine | el libro, el dinero |
| -a | feminine | la mesa, la casa |
| -dad, -tad | always feminine | la ciudad, la verdad, la libertad |
| -ción, -sión | always feminine | la canción, la estación, la televisión |
| -ma (from Greek) | masculine | el problema, el idioma, el sistema |
Memory hook-dad, -tad, -ción and -sión are always feminine. Think of la ciudad: the city is a she.
The exceptions you’ll meet first
These break the -o/-a pattern, and they’re all common, so they’re worth knowing by name:
| Masculine, ending in -a | Feminine, ending in -o |
|---|---|
| el día | la mano |
| el mapa | la foto |
| el problema | la moto |
| el idioma |
- No hay problema.No problem.
- Tengo la mano fría.My hand is cold.
La foto and la moto are short for longer feminine words (the words for photograph and motorcycle), which is why they stay feminine.
El agua: feminine, but with el
A few feminine nouns start with a stressed a- sound and take el instead of la in the singular, because la and the stressed a would run together. They’re still feminine nouns: el agua, el hambre, el águila.
- Quiero un vaso de agua.I want a glass of water.
- Tengo hambre.I’m hungry.
Everything else: learn it with its article
Nouns ending in -e or a consonant could go either way: la noche but el coche, la flor but el árbol, la nariz but el lápiz. No rule will save you here; the habit will. Learn el coche, never just coche.
You can see every noun with its article in the word lists: start with the A1 words.
Quick check
1 ___ problema
el: Like most words ending in -ma that come from Greek, it’s masculine.
2 ___ ciudad
la: -dad is always feminine.
3 ___ mano
la: The best-known feminine noun ending in -o.
4 ___ agua
el: Feminine, but el before a stressed a-.
Tap a question to check your answer.
Practise this in Huerta
These levels teach it, with every word and example reviewed at just the right moment:
Questions
Is “problema” masculine or feminine?
Masculine: el problema. Many words ending in -ma come from Greek and are masculine: el idioma, el tema, el sistema.
Why is it “el agua” if agua is feminine?
Feminine nouns that start with a stressed a- sound take el in the singular, so that la and the stressed a don’t run together. They’re still feminine nouns.
What’s the best way to learn noun genders?
Learn every noun with its el or la from the start, and practise saying both together. The endings above cover many nouns; the article covers the rest.
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