LESSON 1: NOUNS AND ARTICLES

Objectives
Upon completing this lesson,
students will learn:
• Gender and number of words
• The definite and indefinite
articles

Computer= computadora
(femenino)
Remember: Words not things are
masculine or feminine.

Wikipedia
https://
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Gato_vs_gata%2C_illustration_of_gramma
 OVERVIEW
• This chapter covers one of the most basic and important
concepts in the Spanish language: the idea of number
(singular, plural) and gender (masculine, femenine). The
rules you are going to learn apply not only to people but
also to things and places.
• The definite article in English is THE. It covers all cases.
• In Spanish, however, there is a definite article for:
masculine, singular noun: EL (Example: EL señor)
masculine, plural: LOS (Los señores)
feminine, singular: LA (La señorita),
feminine, plural: LAS (LAS señoritas
• Usually, to form the feminine of a noun you add
A to the final consonant or change the final
vowel for A:
León/ leona mexicano/ mexicana
• However, there are several exceptions that you
will learn further in the course.
• The masculine LOS is used with a set that
includes any combination of masculine and
feminine nouns: los estudiantes, los profesores.
 OVERVIEW

• Nouns ending in -IÓN are usually feminine (lección,

conversación).
Words ending in -AD are also feminine: nacionalidad,
verdad (truth), amistad (friendship)
• Words ending in consonant are usually masculine,
however there are exceptions (see above)
• The following words are then masculine
• Pared (wall) árbol (tree) reloj (watch, clock)
Lápiz (penci) Amor (love) papel (paper)
 OVERVIEW

• In the United States, it is almost impossible not to have been

exposed to the Spanish language. Try the following as an
exercise :
• Without looking at the English equivalent, try to guess the
meaning of the following words:
• Amigo coche lápiz silla
• Libro sombrero cabeza suéter
• Señor patio mesa madre
• Universidad mano ciudad mujer
• Adulto toro pueblo hombre

• Now, read again the previous slides and add the definitive
article to the words above. Answers
• The Indefinite article, a, an in English, is:
Un (singular, masculine), Una (singular feminine)
Unos, unas (some) plural, masculine and
feminine
• Un libro/ Una silla/ Unos libros/ Unas sillas
• The formation of plural:
Plural of words ending in vowel= +S: casa/casas;
hombre/hombres
Plural of words ending in consonant= +ES.
nacionalidad/nacionalidades

mujer/mujeres
• Amigo (friend) El coche (car) El
• lápiz (pencil) El silla (Chair) La
• libro (Book) El sombrero (Hat) El
• cabeza (Head) La suéter (Sweater) El
• señor (Gentleman) El patio (Yard, patio) El
• mesa (Table) La madre (Mother) La
• universidad (University, College)La mano (The exception to the rule) La
• ciudad (City) La mujer (Woman) La
adulto (Male adult) El toro (Bull) El
pueblo (Town) El hombre (Man) El

Roger Celis