Sustantivo
From Latin nomen -inis (name)
The sustantivo (noun) is the word used to name people, animals, or things, whether real or abstract.
Examples
- Real things: Juan, perro ("dog"), flor ("flower"), mesa ("table").
- Abstract ideas: hermosura ("beauty"), justicia ("justice"), bondad ("kindness").
Accidentes gramaticales of the sustantivo
Spanish sustantivos are variable: they have different endings to show whether the word is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. These variations are called accidentes gramaticales (grammatical inflections — literally "grammatical accidents").
Examples
Niño ("boy"), niña ("girl"), niños ("boys / children"), niñas ("girls").
1. Género (Gender)
Género shows the sex of the person or animal being named, and the gender assigned to things. A sustantivo can be masculino (masculine) or femenino (feminine).
Unlike English, every Spanish noun has a gender, even for things that are not alive. La mesa ("the table") is feminine; el libro ("the book") is masculine.
Examples
| Sentence | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mi vecina piensa viajar a Bogotá. | "My neighbor is planning to travel to Bogotá." | (vecina is feminine) |
| Mi perro molesta mucho. | "My dog is a real nuisance." | (perro is masculine) |
Forming the feminine:
i. Nouns that change -o to -a
Replace the final –o with –a.
Examples
- Maestro ("male teacher"), maestra ("female teacher").
- Niño ("boy"), niña ("girl").
- Gato ("male cat"), gata ("female cat").
ii. Nouns that add -a
Add a final –a.
Examples
- León ("lion"), leona ("lioness").
- Ratón ("male mouse"), ratona ("female mouse").
- Señor ("Mr., sir"), señora ("Mrs., ma'am").
- Dios ("god"), diosa ("goddess").
iii. Nouns with no change in the feminine
Some sustantivos do not change form. The gender is shown by the artículo (el or la).
Examples
- El guardia / la guardia ("guard").
- El joven / la joven ("young person").
- El guía / la guía ("guide").
iv. Nouns with special feminine endings
Some sustantivos use special endings for the feminine.
Examples
- Gallo ("rooster"), gallina ("hen").
- Poeta ("poet"), poetisa ("poetess").
- Actor ("actor"), actriz ("actress").
- Conde ("count"), condesa ("countess").
- Rey ("king"), reina ("queen").
v. Nouns with different words for each gender
Sometimes the masculine and feminine are completely different words.
Examples
- Padrino ("godfather"), madrina ("godmother").
- Toro ("bull"), vaca ("cow").
- Caballo ("horse"), yegua ("mare").
- Hombre ("man"), mujer ("woman").
- Padre ("father"), madre ("mother").
2. Número (Number)
Número shows whether a word refers to one being or several. It can be singular (singular) or plural (plural).
a) Singular
Refers to one person, animal, or thing.
Examples
Casa ("house"), niño ("child"), río ("river"), libro ("book"), pájaro ("bird"), calle ("street"), país ("country").
b) Plural
Refers to two or more people, animals, or things.
Examples
Casas ("houses"), niños ("children"), ríos ("rivers"), libros ("books"), pájaros ("birds"), calles ("streets"), países ("countries").
Forming the plural:
i. Nouns that add -s
Most sustantivos that end in a vowel add –s.
Examples
- Mesa ("table"), mesas ("tables").
- Café ("coffee"), cafés ("coffees").
- Zapato ("shoe"), zapatos ("shoes").
- Libro ("book"), libros ("books").
ii. Nouns that add -es
Sustantivos that end in a consonant usually add –es.
Examples
- León ("lion"), leones ("lions").
- País ("country"), países ("countries").
- Pared ("wall"), paredes ("walls").
- Farol ("street lamp"), faroles ("street lamps").
iii. Nouns ending in -z
Words ending in –z change the –z to –c and add –es.
Examples
- Lápiz ("pencil"), lápices ("pencils").
- Nariz ("nose"), narices ("noses").
- Actriz ("actress"), actrices ("actresses").
iv. Nouns ending in -í or -ú
Add –es or just –s (both are accepted).
Examples
- Maní ("peanut"), maníes or manís ("peanuts").
- Tabú ("taboo"), tabúes or tabús ("taboos").
- Jabalí ("wild boar"), jabalíes or jabalís ("wild boars").
v. Nouns ending in -y
Some sustantivos ending in –y add –es.
Examples
- Rey ("king"), reyes ("kings").
- Buey ("ox"), bueyes ("oxen").
- Ley ("law"), leyes ("laws").
vi. Nouns with no change in the plural
Some sustantivos look the same in singular and plural. Only the artículo changes.
Examples
- El paraguas / los paraguas ("the umbrella / the umbrellas").
- La tesis / las tesis ("the thesis / the theses").
- El sacapuntas / los sacapuntas ("the pencil sharpener / the pencil sharpeners").
Note
Some words shift their acento (stress) in the plural:
- Régimen ("regime"), regímenes ("regimes").
- Carácter ("character"), caracteres ("characters").
Types of sustantivos
1. Sustantivo propio (Proper noun)
The name given to a particular person, animal, place, or thing to distinguish it from others of its kind. Always begins with a capital letter.
Examples
Pedro, Lassy, Roma ("Rome"), Orinoco, Salto Ángel1, Everest.
2. Sustantivo común (Common noun)
The name given to every being or thing of the same kind. Always written in lowercase.
Examples
Persona ("person"), país ("country"), ciudad ("city"), mujer ("woman"), animal ("animal"), río ("river"), montaña ("mountain"), calle ("street").
3. Sustantivo colectivo (Collective noun)
A single-form noun that names a group of beings or things of the same type.
Examples
Rebaño ("flock"), manada ("herd"), colmena ("beehive"), tropa ("troop").
4. Sustantivo compuesto (Compound noun)
Formed by joining two or more words.
Examples
Mediodía ("noon"), sacapuntas ("pencil sharpener"), espantapájaros ("scarecrow").
5. Sustantivo epiceno2 (Epicene noun)
Animal names that keep the same form and artículo for both male and female. The word by itself does not tell you whether the animal is male or female.
Examples
- El águila volaba por la montaña en la tarde. ("The eagle was flying over the mountain in the afternoon.")
- El búho me asustó. ("The owl scared me.")
- La hormiga macho, la hormiga hembra. ("The male ant, the female ant.")
- La jirafa macho, la jirafa hembra. ("The male giraffe, the female giraffe.")
6. Sustantivo ambiguo (Ambiguous noun)
A noun that can be used in either masculine or feminine without changing form or meaning.
Examples
- La mar estaba serena. ("The sea was calm.") — feminine.
- Nos bañamos en el mar. ("We swam in the sea.") — masculine.
- 1
Salto Ángel: The tallest waterfall in the world, located in southern Venezuela.
- 2
Epiceno: The word epiceno comes from Latin epicenus, from Greek epikainos, from epi ("on") + koinos ("common").