
Nouns are our guiding pressure when studying Spanish.
With out them, we wouldn’t be capable to title the objects, locations, folks and concepts we work together with every day.
In a world with out nouns, every thing can be “it” and each individual can be “he,” “she” or “them.” Catch my drift?
On this submit, you’ll be taught 85 widespread Spanish nouns and methods to use them, plus discover the 9 noun sorts.
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What’s a Noun in Spanish?
Nouns are used to call bodily objects, folks, locations, animals, and invisible issues reminiscent of concepts, qualities or actions.
They’re additionally sometimes the topic or the object in a sentence and could be the item of a preposition.
Let’s take a look in any respect this in motion:
María come helado en el parque. (María eats ice cream within the park.)
If we break this sentence down, we will see that:
- María is an individual and the topic
- helado is a factor and the item
- el parque is a factor and place, making it a prepositional object
Let’s strive yet one more:
Los perros no comen carne en Madrid. (Canines don’t eat meat in Madrid.)
On this sentence,
- Los perros is the plural type of an animal and the topic
- carne is a factor and the item
- Madrid is a spot and the prepositional object
As in every other language, nouns in Spanish could be categorised into totally different teams relying on their nature.
In English, now we have correct nouns, summary nouns, countable nouns, collective nouns, and so on—and it’s very related in Spanish. Let’s have a look!
Spanish Noun Settlement
You already know Spanish nouns are both masculine or female. However nouns should additionally match the adjectives and portions earlier than and after them.
For instance, let’s take the female noun la manzana (the apple).
If you wish to say, “the crimson apple,” you’d say:
La manzana roja. (The crimson apple.)
As a result of apple (manzana) is female, crimson (rojo/a) should be female, too.
If you wish to make the noun plural to say “the three crimson apples,” you’d say:
Las tres manzanas rojas. (The three crimson apples.)
You most likely additionally seen that the adjective (rojo/a) comes after the noun moderately than earlier than (like it will in English). That’s an entire different subject, so if you wish to be taught extra about Spanish adjective placement, try our in-depth submit about it right here.
The 9 Forms of Spanish Nouns
1. Correct Nouns
A correct noun refers to a particular and distinctive entity. After I say entity, I imply folks, animals, buildings, oceans, cities, and so on.
Correct nouns are often written in capital letters. Right here you could have some examples:
Roberto
el Océano Atlántico (the Atlantic Ocean)
Barcelona
Actual Madrid
Francia (France)
Nonetheless, this isn’t at all times the case in Spanish.
Take for example the times of the week. In English, you at all times capitalize them (i.e. Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, and so on.).
However in Spanish, you don’t capitalize them. For instance:
There are a couple of exceptions although, principally associated to festivities like Miércoles Santo (Holy Wednesday) and Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday).
The months of the 12 months additionally aren’t capitalized in Spanish.
However like the times of the week, there are additionally exceptions—like when the month is a part of an essential historic occasion. That is the case with El Levantamiento del Dos de Mayo (The Dos de Mayo Rebellion).
Other than these exceptions, you’ll primarily see sentences like the next:
Mi cumpleaños es el 27 de agosto. (My birthday is August 27.)
Viviré aquí hasta marzo. (I’ll stay right here till March.)
Lastly, names of languages are capitalized in English, whereas in Spanish they’re written in lowercase:
Estamos aprendiendo español. (We’re studying Spanish.)
El inglés es mi idioma favorito. (English is my favourite language.)
Necessary word! Not capitalizing the times of the week, months of the 12 months or names of languages in English is taken into account a spelling error. Equally, capitalizing them in Spanish is equally an error and one thing it is best to positively keep away from, particularly in case you’re learning for a language check or examination.
2. Frequent Nouns
A widespread noun is used to call folks, animals, issues, locations, summary concepts and emotions, and so on.
The distinction with correct nouns is that a standard noun is not the title of a particular and distinctive entity.
Take a look on the following examples:
Folks
Animals
Issues
Locations
Summary concepts and emotions
Keep in mind one crucial factor: a standard noun is at all times written in lowercase (until in fact it’s the primary phrase in a sentence).
3. Concrete Nouns
Remembering your 5 senses is the best method to perceive what concrete nouns are: if you possibly can see, hear, odor, style and/or contact one thing or somebody, you could have a concrete noun. Likewise, it’s not a concrete noun in case you can’t see, hear, odor, style, or contact it.
Contained in the concrete nouns class, you’ll produce other classes like widespread nouns, correct nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns and collective nouns.
To see this extra clearly, I’ll give some examples of concrete nouns and the assorted noun classes they belong to:
La televisión (the tv)
Concrete noun (you possibly can see it, hear it and contact it)
Frequent noun (not the title of any particular entity, like a Phillips TV)
Countable (una televisión, dos tves)
Antonio
Concrete noun (you possibly can see, hear and contact this individual)
Correct noun (this individual’s title is Antonio)
Countable (Sure! You may rely correct names and say “hay tres Antonios en esta clase,” that means “there are three Antonios on this class.”)
El elefante (the elephant)
Concrete noun (oh boy, you possibly can positively see and listen to an elephant when it’s round)
Frequent noun (not the title of a particular and distinctive entity, like Dumbo)
Countable (un elefante, dos elefantes)
La sal (the salt)
Concrete noun (you possibly can see, contact and style it)
Frequent noun (not the title of any particular entity)
Uncountable (una sal, dos sales – take a look at uncountable nouns beneath to grasp them higher)
El amor (love)
Not a concrete noun (you possibly can really feel love, however you can not bodily work together with the summary idea of affection)
This final instance is an occasion of an summary noun, which we’ll talk about now.
Should you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t fear! The extra you’re uncovered to Spanish, the extra pure these noun guidelines will come to you.
Speaking with native audio system, listening to Spanish music, consuming Spanish media—all these strategies are good for tuning your ear to Spanish and selecting up on these “guidelines” of their pure context.
Immersion packages like FluentU are good for this, too. FluentU permits you to watch genuine Spanish movies (like music movies, inspiring talks and information studies) with interactive subtitles, which assist present you ways native audio system use noun guidelines in numerous contexts.
The language studying program can be obtainable as iOS and Android apps, so you possibly can take your studying on the go along with you.
4. Summary Nouns
On the opposite facet of the coin, now we have summary nouns.
We will’t work together with these in any method. We will’t see, hear, odor, style, or contact them.
Nonetheless, you can really feel them and take into consideration them, so please don’t assume they’re ineffective!
Listed below are some examples of summary nouns:
5. Animate Nouns
This group is simple. Animate nouns discuss with dwelling beings (folks, animals and different dwelling creatures).
Examples of animate nouns are:
There are occasions after we personify objects, giving them life. This type of noun known as an animate inanimate noun.
Examples of those could be seen in nearly each cartoon or Disney-like film, or in fantasy books and books in regards to the supernatural.
For instance, the characters from “Magnificence and the Beast” and our beloved Pinocchio are animate inanimate nouns. Additionally, any toy a toddler treats like a dwelling factor and offers a “voice” to is equally animate for them!
6. Inanimate Nouns
As you might need already guessed, inanimate nouns are these used to discuss with lifeless issues.
It may be an object, a spot, a thought, an concept, a sense and so forth. Keep in mind, although, that inanimate nouns can turn out to be animate! (See the final part.)
Examples of inanimate nouns are:
Right here you could have an instance of an inanimate noun that has been “delivered to life” by me:
Mi muñeca me dijo que tenía frío. (My doll informed me she was chilly.)
7. Particular person Nouns vs Collective Nouns
Particular person and collective nouns are simpler to grasp when defined collectively.
Particular person nouns discuss with a single entity (individual, animal or factor).
However, collective nouns discuss with a single group composed of a number of entities (folks, animals or issues).
There’s one crucial factor it’s good to perceive earlier than transferring on.
Particular person/collective does not imply singular/plural, nor does it imply uncountable/countable! You’ll have collective names in each the singular and the plural, and also you’ll have uncountable nouns, paradoxically!
One of the best ways to grasp and see that is through the use of some examples:
Particular person (singular) |
Particular person (plural) |
Collective (singular) |
Collective (plural) |
---|---|---|---|
Isla (island) |
Islas (islands) |
Archipiélago (archipelago) |
Archipiélagos (archipelagos) |
Policía (policeman) |
Policías (policemen) |
Policía (police) |
— |
Abeja (bee) |
Abejas (bees) |
Enjambre (swarm) |
Enjambres (swarms) |
Poema (poem) |
Poemas (poems) |
Poesía (poetry) |
— |
Alumno (scholar) |
Alumnos (college students) |
Alumnado (scholar physique) |
Alumnados (scholar our bodies) – not often used |
As you possibly can see, the phrase abeja is a standard, particular person noun with a plural type as a result of it’s countable.
If you wish to discuss with the “group” fashioned by bees, you should use the widespread, collective noun, enjambre, which can be countable—therefore the plural type, enjambres.
However, when referring to the establishment of “the police,” the phrase policía is uncountable, so it is a collective uncountable noun.
8. Countable Nouns vs Uncountable Nouns
These two are very easy to grasp.
Countable nouns could be counted. A large number of nouns each in Spanish and English are countable.
When you’ve got a singular noun and may rely it, like un árbol, dos árboles, tres árboles (one tree, two bushes, three bushes), then the noun is countable.
Some examples of Spanish countable nouns are:
- coche (automobile) (un coche, dos coches, tres coches, and so on.)
- lápiz (pencil) (un lápiz, dos lápices, tres lápices, and so on.)
- mesa (desk) (una mesa, dos mesas, tres mesas, and so on.)
Not simply issues could be countable. Folks and animals could be countable too!
- hermano (brother) (un hermano, dos hermanos, tres hermanos, and so on.)
- gato (cat) (un gato, dos gatos, tres gatos, and so on.)
Uncountable nouns are these nouns that may’t be counted.
This group consists of liquids (agua — water), powders and spices (azúcar — sugar, sal — salt), numerous summary nouns (inteligencia — intelligence), emotions and sensations (frío — coldness) and a few meals (queso — cheese).
Different examples of uncountable nouns are:
As you possibly can see within the final examples, the truth that a noun is uncountable doesn’t imply it may’t finish in -s.
Usually, an uncountable noun ending in -s in English will even be uncountable in Spanish, although the Spanish translation will usually have a special ending:
Then what will we do if we would like “extra” of any uncountable factor?
On this case, we’ll have to make use of unidades (items) in Spanish.
You already use items in your on a regular basis life, so this might be simpler than chances are you’ll assume.
There are literally thousands of totally different items you could possibly use. Listed below are among the commonest ones:
- un vaso (glass) (un vaso de agua — one glass of water, dos vasos de agua — two glasses of water)
- una pizca (pinch) (una pizca de sal — one pinch of salt, dos pizcas de sal — two pinches of salt)
- un kilo (kilo) (un kilo de harina — one kilo of flour, dos kilos de harina — two kilos of flour)
- una botella (bottle) (una botella de vino — one bottle of wine, dos botellas de vino — two bottles of wine)
- una barra (bar, loaf) (una barra de jabón — one bar of cleaning soap, dos barras de jabón — two bars of cleaning soap)
Right here you could have another helpful Spanish items:
9. Compound Nouns
Compound nouns are made up of two or extra phrases. There are alternative ways to type compound nouns, however the most typical ones, each in Spanish and in English, are mixtures of:
a noun + a noun
a noun + an adjective
a verb + a noun
You’ll discover some widespread Spanish compound nouns within the following examples, however keep in mind that they gained’t essentially be compound nouns in English.
- paraguas (umbrella) — parar (verb) + aguas (noun)
- sacacorchos (corkscrew) — sacar (verb) + corchos (noun)
- pelirrojo (redhead) — pelo (noun) + rojo (adjective)
- mapamundi (world map) — mapa (noun) + mundo (noun)
One distinction between Spanish and English compound nouns has at all times caught my consideration: Most of them finish in -s of their singular type!
Listed below are some examples of Spanish compound nouns ending in -s and their plural kinds:
See? Each singular and plural are the identical. Simply keep in mind to make use of the right type of the article.
80 Frequent Spanish Nouns You Ought to Know
- El amor — love
- El perro — canine
- El gato — cat
- La persona — individual
- El amigo — buddy
- El grupo — group
- La gente — folks
- La madre — mom
- El padre — father
- El hermano — brother
- La hermana — sister
- El primo /La prima — cousin
- La familia — household
- La casa — home
- La ciudad — metropolis
- El país — nation
- El agua — water
- La carne — meat
- La comida — meals
- La bebida — drink
- El tiempo — time
- La mujer — lady
- El hombre — man
- El niño — boy
- La niña — woman
- El animal — animal
- La vida — life
- El mundo — world
- El problema — drawback
- La pregunta — query
- La respuesta — reply
- La mañana — morning
- La noche — evening
- La tarde — afternoon, night
- El número — quantity
- El teléfono — telephone
- El trabajo — job
- El aeropuerto — airport
- El lodge — lodge
- El restaurante — restaurant
- El lugar — place
- La calle — road
- El coche — automobile
- La escuela — faculty
- La universidad — college
- El mes — month
- El año — 12 months
- El día — day
- La semana — week
- El libro — e book
- El bolígrafo — pen
- La lápiz — pencil
- El papel — paper
- El cuaderno — pocket book
- La policía — police
- El physician — physician
- El ingeniero — engineer
- El taxista — taxi driver
- El casero — landlord
- El negocio — enterprise
- La empresa — firm
- La salud — well being
- La palabra — phrase
- El ejemplo — instance
- La fiesta — celebration
- La música — music
- La llamada — (telephone) name
- La película — film
- La tienda — store, retailer
- El mercado — market, retailer
- La biblioteca — library
- El centro comercial — procuring middle, mall
- La esposa — spouse
- El esposo — husband
- El novio — boyfriend
- La novia — girlfriend
- La seguridad — safety
- La cámara — digicam
- El cambio — change, (foreign money) change
- El equipaje — baggage
Our existence can be boring and meaningless with out nouns to call the folks, animals and issues round us!
Spanish nouns are similar to English nouns. And with a bit of apply, utilizing Spanish nouns can turn out to be simply as straightforward.
Keep good, and carry on studying!
Obtain:
This weblog submit is accessible as a handy and moveable PDF that you simply
can take anyplace.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)