Every Spanish noun is either masculine or feminine. There is no neutral. Learn the rules and patterns to always use the right gender.
In Spanish, gender affects articles (el/la), adjectives (alto/alta), and pronouns. Get the gender right and everything else falls into place.
✔ Most nouns ending in -o are masculine → el libro, el perro, el caso
✔ Most nouns ending in -a are feminine → la casa, la mesa, la ventana
✔ But there are important exceptions — you’ll learn the most common ones here.
These endings almost always signal a masculine noun. Use el or un with them.
| Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -o | el libro | the book |
| -or | el color | the color |
| -aje | el viaje | the trip |
| -ma | el problema | the problem |
| -pa | el mapa | the map |
el día (the day) • el mapa (the map) • el problema (the problem)
el sistema (the system) • el tema (the topic) • el programa (the program)
Tip: Many of these come from Greek and end in -ma or -pa.
These endings almost always signal a feminine noun. Use la or una with them.
| Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -a | la casa | the house |
| -ión | la nación | the nation |
| -dad | la ciudad | the city |
| -tad | la libertad | freedom |
| -ez | la niñez | childhood |
| -umbre | la costumbre | the custom |
la foto (the photo) • la moto (the motorbike) • la radio (the radio)
la mano (the hand) • la libido • la nao (archaic: ship)
Tip: la mano is the most important exception — memorize it!
Some nouns change meaning completely depending on which article you use.
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| el capital — the capital (money) | la capital — the capital city |
| el orden — order (arrangement) | la orden — an order (command) |
| el cólera — cholera (disease) | la cólera — anger/rage |
| el pendiente — earring | la pendiente — slope/hillside |
Fill in el or la for each noun.
Choose the correct article for each noun.