The noun is the name of anything that refers to people (Elena), things (la casa / the house), animals (el perro / the dog) and sometimes to qualities (nobleza / noble) and immaterial things perceived only through the senses (esperanza / hope).

• The noun functionArticles and nouns

• Noun gender

• Gender and quantity

• Pluralizing nouns

• Noun possessive form

• Derived nouns

• Converting nouns into verbs

• Converting verbs into nouns

 

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The noun function

 

       The noun functions are:

 

a) Nucleus of  the sentence:           

     La casa es de color amarilla / The house is yellow.

 

b) Nucleus of appositives:                 

     Mi país preferido, México, tiene 31  Estados y un Distrito Federal./

        My preferred country, México, has 31 States and a Federal District.

 

c) Direct object (DO) :                        

     Comí arroz en Navidad./ I ate rice on Christmas day.

 

 

     It can also do the work that could be done through other words:

 

a) They can work  as nucleus of predicates without a verb:

         Casa vieja, problema seguro. / Old house, sure problem.

     

b) Nucleus of the sentence that describes the way of being or quality of the subject:                          

         Newton es el científico que descubrió la ley de la gravedad./ Newton is the scientist who discovered law of gravity.

    

c) Nucleus of the circumstantial object (CO): 

        Alimenté al pájaro el  martes./ I fed the bird last Tuesday.

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Articles and nouns

 

  Nouns usually require either a definite article or an indefinite article (el, la, los, las & lo or un, una, unos, unas) before them:

 

                    Examples: 

                    La casa / the house

                    Una casa  / a house

         (In this example, casa is the noun and la is the definite article or where casa is the noun and una is the indefinite article).

el -- un            masc. sing.

la -- una          fem. sing.

los -- unos       masc. plural

las -- unas       fem. plural

lo -- un            neuter (usually singular)  

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Noun gender

 

     All the nouns have a gender (masculine, feminine or neutral). There are some nouns that have an ambiguous gender (el mar, la mar), others can have both genders but will suffer a change of meaning between one and the other (el cura (meaning the priest) - la cura (meaning the cure)). 

        There are nouns that do not change gender (la serpiente hembra o macho,- meaning the female or male serpent) and the nouns where the article makes the difference of the gender (la jóven or el jóven ).

 

 The gender of a noun can be known using the following conditions:

 

*This condition works with singular words only.

If the word ends with:	Example:	then.....
-n	el ratón /   the mouse.	Ninety-nine percent of the time, the word will be masculine.  Exceptions: la mano, la noche, la foto, la moto.
-o	el aeroplano /  the airplane.
-l	el rosal /  the rosebush.
-e	el nombre /  the name.
-r	el corredor /  the hall.
-s	el paraguas /  the umbrella.
-ma	el panorama /  the scenery.	Usually are masculine: el clima, el diploma, el drama, el sistema, el aroma, el poema, el tema, etc.
-pa	el mapa /  the map.
-ta	el profeta /  the prophet.
-d	la caridad /  the charity.	Ninety-nine percent of the time, the word will be feminine. Exceptions: el lápiz, el avión, el camión, el día.
-a	la cama / the bed.
-z	la luz / the light.
-ión	la canción /  the song.
-ie	la serie /  the series.
-sis	la diálisis /  the dialysis.
-itis	la apendicitis / the appendicitis.
-umbre	la muchedumbre / the crowd.
If the noun starts with a stressed "a", "á" or "ha" The word will  continue to be  feminine, when in singular it will receive the article "el"; when plural it will switch to "las".
	águila / eagle	el águila, las águilas / the eagle(s)
	área / area	el área, las áreas / the area(s)
	hacha / axe	el hacha, las hachas / the ax(es)
	ala / wing	el ala, las alas / the wing(s)
	alba / dawn	el alba, las albas / the dawn(s)
	hada / fairy	el hada, las hadas / the fairy(ies)
	hambre / hungry	el hambre, las hambres / the hunger(s)
	aula / classroom	el aula,  las aulas / the classroom(s)
	alma / soul	el alma, las almas / the soul(s)
If the word ends with "-e".	la muerte /   the death	Some can be feminine: la pirámide, la gente, la carne, la suerte, etc.
	el aire /   the air	Others can be masculine: el padre, el hambre, el hombre, el coche, etc.
If the word ends with "-ista".	el oficinista /  the clerk	They can be masculine according to the person that you are talking about: if you are talking about a male person who works in the office, then write the masculine article and then the noun: el oficinista, otherwise, write the feminine article "la" and write the same noun: la oficinista.
	la oficinista /  the clerk
If the word ends with "imiento(s)".	el conocimiento / the knowledge	All will be masculine.
	el ofrecimiento / the offer

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Some nouns can change gender:

Change the gender by:	Example
Adding an "a" at the end of the word to make it feminine or by changing the "o" for an  "a".	el  escritor--la escritora / writer (f. & m.).	Usually this rule works with professions, animals, or in state of being. Consider beings that could be found in both genders (female and masculine)
	el señor--la señora / Mr.--Ms.
	el zorro--la zorra / fox.
	el niño-la niña / boy-- girl.
	el hijo--la hija/ son--daughter.
	el muchacho--la muchacha / youngster (f. & m.).
Changing the word.	el toro--la  vaca / bull-- cow.	Many of these nouns have a similar change of word when in English.
	el rey--la reina / king--queen.
	el actor--la actriz /  actor-- actress.
	el poeta--la poetiza / poet (f. & m.).
Changing the article.	el artista--la artista / artist (f. & m.).	Usually this rule works with professions(-ista endings), or in states of being.
	el jóven--la jóven / young man -- young woman.
	el pastor--la pastora / shepherd--shepherdess.
	el tenista---la tenista / tennis player (f. & m.).
Changing the article causes a change of meaning.	el policía / the policeman.	Other words: orden, cura, frente
	la policía / the police force.
	el papa / the Pope.
	la papa / the potato.
	el cometa / the comet.
	la cometa / the kite.
	el guía / the guide person.
	la guía / the guide book.

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Gender and quantity

They all have the quantity denoted (singular or plural).

                    Example:

                            La casa / the house (singular)
                      Las casas / the houses (plural)

Sort of nouns	Definition	Example	Translation
Common or proper	They refer to the common characteristics, to the kind or sort of people, things or animals.	perro	dog
		flor	flower
		idioma	language
		automóvil	car
	They call people, things or animals but in a way that they are different from one another in the same kind, sort or species.	Ballena azul	Blue whale
		Laurie	Laurie
		Minesota	Minnesota
Concrete or abstract	They call to anything that could be perceived through the senses only.	aire	air
		plato	dish
		fruta	fruit
	They refer to anything that can’t be perceived through the senses only.	amor	love
		esperanza	hope
Individual or Collective	They call anything in singular.	árbol	tree
	They call remaining in singular  a group of things or beings.	rebaño	flock

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Pluralizing nouns

Almost any noun and adjective can be pluralized.

To transform a singular  noun or adjective into plural consider the next 3 options:

If the word ends with:	Do this:	Example:
any vowel:  a, e, i, o, u	add an "s"	rosa- rosas
any consonant	add "es"	camión- camiones
-és, -ión.	drop the accent mark and add "es"	revés- reveces
		francés- franceses
		camión- camiones
with -z	change the "z" for "ces"	nuez- nueces
If it has a plural ending	only change the article to plural	el paraguas- los paraguas
		el lunes- los lunes
		el martes- los martes

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Noun possessive form

The possessive form of a noun such as "Nancy’s house.."  doesn’t exist in Spanish, so the way to express the possessive is:

        "The house of Nancy..." (la casa de Nancy..)   

To pluralize, just pluralize the possessed noun: 

        "Las casas de Nancy..."

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Derived nouns

The derived nouns can be formed  and come from a primitive or root word:

*It is important to mention that some of these derivatives are hard to find in regular dictionaries because of their uncommon  usage.

Kinds of derivative nouns:	Meaning:	How to form them:	Examples:
Augmentative	Makes the noun to be  understood  as a big element:	root of the word   +    ón	cucharón - big spoon (ladle)
		azo	cucharazo- big spoon
		ota	cucharota - big spoon
Diminutive	Makes the noun to be  understood as a little, poor or cute element as in English : Ann- Annie,  book-booklet, etc.	root of the word    +    ita	cucharita- little spoon
		uelo	riachuelo - little river
		illa(o)	cucharilla - little spoon
Naturally derived	The nouns don't change, the noun by itself means that	root of the word    +    eda	arboleda  - grove
		ería	minería - mining
		ero	minero - miner
		ista	pianista - pianist
Names	They are nothing but the last names		Pérez
			González
Despising	Makes the noun to be understood as a worthless  element:	root of the word    +    acho	populacho (populace)
		-zuela	mujerzuela, plazuela
		-zuelo	mozuelo
		-rraco	pajarraco (ugly bird)
		-ucha	tienducha
		-ucho	pueblucho

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Converting nouns into verbs

 

 A noun can be transformed into a verb by keeping the root of the  word and:        

                adding  " -ando" or "iendo"    (gerund)

        or                                               

                adding   " -ar"," -er" or "-ir"    (infinitive)

 

For example:

                primitive word:              cuchara                 (spoon)

                root:                              cuchar

                *gerund:                        cuchareando         (spooning)

                present participle:          está cuchareando  (is spooning)

                *infinitive:                      cucharear

                present tense:               yo cuchareo, tú cuchareas, él ...

   

 

  How to find the root of a word:

                1.-  Eliminate any suffix, prefix, and/or derivative.

                2.-  Eliminate any ending that can guide to a gender or number. (Usually the root word will end in a consonant)

                3.-  You will need the auxiliary verb "estar"  to create a sentence:

                      Example:

                  El niño está cuchareando la sopa. 

                    The boy is spooning the soup.

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Converting verbs into nouns

 

A verb can be transformed into a noun following the next steps:

                1.-     Consider the root verb or infinitive tense

                2.-     Eliminate the -ar, -er, or -ir ending

                3.-     Add  "-imiento"

                4.-     Add a masculine article

                    Example:

                 root verb: conocer (to know or to meet)

                                  conoc-

                 conocimiento =  knowledge   

                 el conocimiento =  the knowledge  

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