For many masculine nouns ending in a consonant, especially -or, -ón, -és
and -ín, the feminine equivalent is formed by adding-a:
el locutor la locutora announcerel bailarín la bailarina dancer
el campeón la campeona championel marqués la marquesa marquis/marchionessA few nouns add the feminine endings -esaor -isaafter removing any final
vowel from the masculine form:el alcalde mayor la alcaldesa mayor’s wife/mayoress
el poeta poet la poetisa poetessOther nouns form the feminine gender by the use of other typically femi-
nine endings:
el actor actor la actriz actress
el héroe hero la heroína heroineNouns that can be masculine or feminine
In some instances the same word is used irrespective of gender, the definite
or indefinite articles alone making the distinction.This is widely seen in nouns ending in -a(especially -ista) 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 intérprete interpreter
el/la espía spy el/la cantante singer
el/la joven young man/woman el/la piloto pilotNote: An exception is el monje/la monja‘monk/nun’.2.2.1.52.2.1.42.2.1.3(^1111) 2.2.1.2
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1011
1
12111
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
20111
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
30111
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40
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Gender