A Multimedia Tutorial by C. Thomas

SPANISH NOUN GENDER

In this tutorial, you will see a few buttons at the bottom of your screen. Read below to find out what they are and how they work…

This button takes you back to the beginning of the tutorial.

This button takes you to the next slide.

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When you see this, it means there is a video for further explanation.

A noun is a person, place, thing or idea.

In Spanish a noun is the same as it is in English, but there is a difference in how they are categorized.

What is a noun?

In Spanish, nouns fall into two categories: feminine and masculine (male and female).

In this lesson we will use rooms and things in a school to explain this concept.

Previously we learned that nouns in Spanish are either feminine or masculine. We see this

in their endings:

-o is masculine

-a is feminine

Example: Libro (book) – ends in –o, so it is masculine.Silla (chair) – ends in –a, so it is feminine.

Watch the video below. Then, let’s begin our walk through the school….

Here we are in the cafeteria. Click the stars to see if the words are masculine or feminine.

Window –

ventanafeminin

e

Trash – Basurafeminin

e

Table – Mesa

feminine

Plate – plato

masculine

Floor – Piso

feminine

mesa

pisoplato

ventana

basura

Notice: Piso – ends in -o, so it is masculine.Mesa – ends in -a, so it is feminine.

Go back and look again to see what nouns are…

Click the star for the nouns that are

masculine.No,

basura is

feminine.

platomesa

piso

ventana

basura

Yes! Plato is

masculine

No, ventana

is feminin

e.

No, mesa is feminin

e.Yes! Piso

is masculin

e.

Click the star for the nouns that are feminine.

ventana

basura

platomesa

piso

Yes! Ventana

is feminin

e.

Yes! Basura

is feminin

e.

Yes! Mesa is feminin

e.

No, plato is

masculine.

No, piso is

masculine.

In the cafeteria we saw the different endings on Spanish nouns.

Remember the rule: feminine nouns end in –a, masculine nouns end in –o.

Now, let’s go to the office.

Next we have the office. Click the stars to see if

the nouns are masculine or feminine.

Teléfono-

telephone

masculine

Grapadora-

stapler feminine

Copiadora- copier feminine

Planta-plant

feminine

telefono planta

copiadora

grapadora

Notice the words that end in –o are masculine while the words that end in –a are feminine.

Libro, Piso, Plato – all are masculine. (See the –o ending?)

Planta, Copiadora, Grapadora – all are feminine. (See the –a ending?)

Click on the stars for the words that are

masculine.

Yes! Teléfono

is masculin

e.

No, grapador

a is feminine.

No. Copiador

a is feminine.

No, planta

is feminin

e.

telefono planta

grapadora

copiadora

Click on the stars for the words that are

feminine.

No. Teléfono

is masculin

e.

Yes! Grapador

a is feminine.

Yes! Copiadora

is feminine.

Yes! Planta is feminine.

telefono planta

copiadoragrapadora

Now let’s go to the library and do the same thing. Don’t forget your rules!

Here in the library, look at the words, and click on those that are masculine.

Yes! Libro is

masculine.

No. Impresora

is feminine.

Yes! Globo is masculin

e.

No. Estanterí

a is feminine. estantería

globo

impresora

libro

Now click on those that are feminine.

No. Globo is masculin

e.

Yes! Impresor

a is feminine.

No. Libro is

masculine.

Yes! Estanterí

a is feminine.

estantería

globo

libro

impresora

Before we go on, stop and take this quiz to see how much you have learned.

Take the quiz. I’m not ready. Go

back to the beginning.

Now let’s explore further in the classroom. Click on the stars to find out the gender of each noun.

Proyector

Ordenador Pupitre

Ecuación

Proyector is

masculine.

Ordenador is

masculine.

Pupitre is

masculine.

Ecuacion is

feminine.

Notice how these end in either –e, a consonant, or –ción.. There isn’t always a pattern to them. Click again to see… Proyector

Ordenador Pupitre

Ecuación

Proyector is

masculine.

Ordenador is

masculine.

Pupitre is

masculine.

Ecuacion is

feminine.

These that don’t end in –o or –a, you must memorize. Did you memorize them?

Projector – proyector, masculine

Pupitre – desk, masculine

Ordenador – computer, masculine

Ecuación – equation, feminine

Click on the nouns that are masculine.

Proyector

Ordenador Pupitre

Ecuación

Yes! Proyecto

r is masculin

e.Yes! Ordenad

or is masculin

e.

Yes! Pupitre

is masculin

e.

No. Ecuació

n is feminin

e.

Click on the nouns that are feminine.

Proyector

Ordenador Pupitre

Ecuación

No. Proyecto

r is masculin

e.No. Ordenad

or is masculin

e.

No. Pupitre

is masculin

e.

Yes! Ecuació

n is feminin

e.

Let’s see how much you learned.

Take the quiz.

I’m not ready, I need to go back to the beginning.

Let’s review:

Feminine nouns end in an –a.

Masculine nouns end in an –o.

Some nouns end in an –e, a consonant, or other endings like –ción.

Clase – feminine

ecuación – feminine

ordenador - masculine

Remember, nouns NOT ending in –o or -a usually have to be memorized.

Are you ready for your final checkout?

I am ready.

No, start over.

Finished with a 80% or above.

Failed, need to start over.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE NOUN GENDER TUTORIAL!!!!