All NOUNS (Person, Place Or Thing) Are Classified Into

Gender (Text p. 30-31)

All NOUNS (person, place or thing) are classified into:

1. Masculine

2. Feminine

·  The “language makers” already classified them as such – YOU don’t decide it!

·  It doesn’t make a difference if the subject is a girl or a boy

·  NOTE !!!! Verbs are never masculine or feminine!!

How do you know?

When learning new vocabulary & nouns, the little word in front tells you if it’s masculine or feminine:

el or los = masculine words

la or las = feminine words

el, la, los, las ALL generally mean “THE”

·  Look at the definite article used in the original definition (on your vocab page)

OR

·  Look it up in a dictionary (m or f – masc. or fem.)

A. Definite articles are: el, la, los, las (usually mean THE)

1. Masculine nouns begin with el or los

2. Feminine nouns begin with la or las

·  Singular Definite Articles: el & la (the)

·  Plural Definite Articles: los & las (the)

B. Indefinite articles also tell if a word is masculine or feminine: un, una (mean a, an); unos, unas (mean some)

1. Masculine nouns begin with un, uno, or unos

2. Feminine nouns begin with una or unas

C. Some general rules to follow:

95% of the time:

Masculine words end in either “-o” or “-os”

Feminine words end in either “-a” or “-as”

1. FEMININE WORDS

·  95% of the time end in an “-A, -AS”

eg. la música, las frutas

·  End in “-dad”

eg. la verdad – the truth

·  End in “-ión”

eg. la natación – swimming

la televisión – television, T.V.

2. MASCULINE WORDS

·  95% of the time, if they end in an “-O, -OS”

eg. el año, los años

·  End in “-ma”

eg. el problema, los idiomas – languages

Tengo un problema

·  70% of the time, if they end in an “-E”

eg. el chocolate, los chocolates

BUT: la clase

·  80% of the time, if they end in an “-R”

eg. el televisor – T.V. set (turned off)

There are ALWAYS going to be exceptions to these rules:

·  el día (buenos días) la clase