Learn Spanish Part No 2
Spanish Nouns Part 2
1. Mass
or uncountable nouns in Spanish language
In Spanish
is used to speak and write by using certain nouns both as mass (uncountable
nouns) or abstract nouns in the singular, and also as plural countable nouns.
This is not used in English language.
A typical
example is the bread / pane (in Spanish). We use to say in English “two breads”
in Spanish “dos panes” means not two breads but two loaves of bread.
Other very
typical examples are
El jabon
(soap) los jabones (bars of soap)
El tostada
(toast) los tostadas (pieces of toast)
La Amistad
(friendship) unas amistades (some friends)
Also, a
very interesting case is the English mass noun “furniture” corresponds to a
countable noun in Spanish:
Tenemos que
cambiar los muebles (We have to change the furniture)
2. The Gender of Spanish Nouns
In Spanish
Language the nouns are assigned either to the masculine or feminine gender.
There are also exceptions, in case of nouns referring to persons or animals,
the gender of a noun is unrelated to the biological gender.
2.1 Spanish Nouns referring to persons
and animals
If a
masculine noun ends in – o, often its feminine equivalent is derived by
changing the – o into – a:
El abuelo
(grandfather) la abuela (grandmother)
El zorro
(fox) la zorra (vixen)
a. There is
also the case of many masculine nouns ending in a consonant, especially –or, -
on, - es and – in, the feminine equivalent is formed by adding – a:
El
locator la locutora (announcer)
El
ballarin la ballerina (dancer)
El campeon
la campeona (champion)
El marques
la marguesa (marquis / marchioness)
b. There
are also in Spanish language nouns add the feminine endings – esa or – isa
after removing any final vowel from the masculine form:
El alcalde
(mayor) La alcadesa (mayor’s wife)
El poeta
(poet) La poetisa (poetess)
c. Other
nouns form the feminine gender by the use of other typically feminine endings :
el actor (actor) la actriz (actress)
el heroe
(hero) la heroina (heroine)
d. There
are also nouns that can be masculine or feminine
There are
instances that same Spanish words can be used irrespective of gender, the
definite or indefinite articles alone making the distinction. This is widely
seen in nouns ending in – a (especially – isa) and in –e. It is the safest
option to choose for those ending in – nte. It is true also of some nouns
ending in a consonant and one or two ending in – o:
El / la
futbolista (footballer) el / la
interprete (interpreter)
El/ la
espia (spy) el /la cantante (simger)
El/ la
joven (young man / woman) el / la piloto (pilot)
Also, we
have to mention an exception in this case, the English word Monk in Spanish is
el monje / la monja (monk/nun)
e. Spanish fixed gender nouns
Some nouns
in Spanish have a fixed regardess of the biological gender of the person they
denote:
La persona
(person) la victim (victim)
La estrella
(Film star) la celebridad (celebrity)
El
personaje (character) el genio (genius)
The above
is also used for many nouns designating
wild animals. But in the case of nouns used about animals there is a
distinction to be made through the addition of macho “male” or hembra “female”,
or by using the phases el macho de or la hembra de :
El panda
(panda) las garzas macho (malw herons)
El vibora
(adder, viper) El macho del
f. Gender and social change
Women
participate in work marketplace and the social roles for women have changed. Spanish
language is vivid and incorporates the ongoing social process and all the
linguistic changes. It is a common practice to use feminine forms for job
titles that hitherto existed only in masculine form:
Abogado - abogada (lawyer)
Catedratico
– catedratica (professor)
Ministro - ministra (minister)
Ingeniero –
Ingeniera (engineer)
Juez –
Jueza (judge)
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