GRAMMAR

1.4 Nouns: Gender and Number

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Quick Summary

Nouns are things, (such as people, physical objects, ideas, etc). Every noun in Spanish is either masculine or feminine in gender.

Rules of Gender
1. Every noun has a gender: either masculine or feminine.

2. The gender determines which article and adjective form you use with the noun.

• Los libros amarillos están en la mochila pequeña. (The yellow books are in the small backpack.)

3. Normally, there's no specific reason why a noun is masculine or feminine.

• Hay un libro en la mochila. (There is a book in the backpack.)

4. There are many exceptions to the chart above. When you learn a noun, it is best to simply look up the gender and memorize it. 

• Él tiene el mapa en la mano. (He has the map in his hand.)

The Plural Form
To make nouns plural:
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1. If the noun ends in a vowel, add an -s

• planta --> plantas (plant --> plants)

2. If it ends in a consonant, add -es

• árbol --> árboles (tree --> trees)

3. If it ends in a -z, the -z changes to -c

• cruz --> cruces (cross --> crosses)

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