DELE A2 Guide: Spanish Noun Gender and Number – Advanced Rules

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Key Takeaways

• Master advanced noun gender rules beyond basic -o/-a endings
• Learn patterns for tricky noun genders and common exceptions
• Understand plural formation rules for compound and foreign nouns
• Practice with DELE-focused examples for exam success

Welcome to your advanced guide to Spanish Noun Gender and Number. While you learned the basics at A1 level, DELE A2 requires deeper knowledge of exceptions and tricky cases. Mastering these advanced rules will significantly improve your writing accuracy and speaking precision on the exam.

Advanced Gender Rules

Nouns Ending in -ma, -pa, -ta
Most nouns ending in -ma, -pa, -ta are masculine (often from Greek):

Masculine Examples:

• “el problema” (problem)
• “el sistema” (system)
• “el programa” (program)
• “el mapa” (map)
• “el planeta” (planet)

Nouns Ending in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tud
These are almost always feminine:

Feminine Examples:

• “la canción” (song)
• “la televisión” (television)
• “la ciudad” (city)
• “la libertad” (freedom)
• “la actitud” (attitude)

Common Gender Exceptions

Masculine Nouns Ending in -a:

• “el día” (day)
• “el mapa” (map)
• “el problema” (problem)
• “el tema” (theme)
• “el clima” (climate)

Feminine Nouns Ending in -o:

• “la mano” (hand)
• “la foto” (photo – short for fotografía)
• “la moto” (motorcycle – short for motocicleta)
• “la radio” (radio)

Compound Nouns and Their Plurals

Noun + Adjective Compounds:
Both parts become plural:

• “el coche bomba” → “los coches bombas” (car bombs)
• “la ciudad jardín” → “las ciudades jardín” (garden cities)

Verb + Noun Compounds:
Only the noun becomes plural:

• “el lavaplatos” → “los lavaplatos” (dishwashers)
• “el paraguas” → “los paraguas” (umbrellas)
• “el abrelatas” → “los abrelatas” (can openers)

Foreign Words in Spanish

Common Foreign Nouns and Their Gender:

• “el internet” (internet – masculine)
• “el marketing” (marketing – masculine)
• “la web” (website – feminine)
• “el software” (software – masculine)
• “el hardware” (hardware – masculine)

Plural Formation Rules

Nouns Ending in Vowel:
Add -s:

• “la casa” → “las casas“
• “el libro” → “los libros“

Nouns Ending in Consonant:
Add -es:

• “el árbol” → “los árboles“
• “la ciudad” → “las ciudades“

Special Cases:

• “el lápiz” → “los lápices” (z → ces)
• “el jersey” → “los jerséis” (y → íes)

DELE A2 Practical Scenarios

Academic Context:

• “Los programas de estudio son diferentes.” (The study programs are different.)
• “Las universidades tienen buenos sistemas.” (Universities have good systems.)

Technology Context:

• “Uso diferentes softwares para trabajar.” (I use different software to work.)
• “Las webs están actualizadas.” (The websites are updated.)

Daily Life:

• “Tengo muchos lavaplatos en la tienda.” (I have many dishwashers in the store.)
• “Los paraguas son necesarios en esta ciudad.” (Umbrellas are necessary in this city.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Assuming All -a Nouns are Feminine:

• ✅ “el día” (day)
• ❌ “la día”

2. Wrong Plural Formation:

• ✅ “los lápices“
• ❌ “los lápizes”

3. Gender with Foreign Words:

• ✅ “el internet“
• ❌ “la internet”

Memory Aids

Masculine Endings:

• -ma, -pa, -ta (problema, mapa, planeta)
• -o (usually)
• -l, -r, -n (usually)

Feminine Endings:

• -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tud
• -a (usually)
• -umbre, -ie (costumbre, serie)

Practice Exercises

Identify the Gender:

1. ___ clima (climate)
2. ___ mano (hand)
3. ___ libertad (freedom)
4. ___ planeta (planet)

Form the Plural:

1. la ciudad → ___
2. el lápiz → ___
3. el abrelatas → ___
4. el coche bomba → ___

(Answers: 1. el, 2. la, 3. la, 4. el; Plural: 1. las ciudades, 2. los lápices, 3. los abrelatas, 4. los coches bombas)

DELE A2 Exam Tips

1. Writing Section: Show accurate gender/number agreement
2. Reading Section: Recognize correct noun forms in texts
3. Speaking Section: Use correct gender for less common nouns
4. Key Areas: Academic texts, technology, daily life descriptions

Next Step: Test Your Knowledge!
Ready to master advanced noun gender and number?

Take our DELE A2 Noun Gender and Number Quiz here to ensure you’re prepared for the exam.

What’s Next in Your DELE A2 Journey?

• Need basic noun review? Study DELE A1 Nouns and Articles
• Ready for adjectives? Review DELE A2 Adjectives
• Want related topics? Learn DELE A2 Sentence Structure
• Practice all A2 grammar? Return to DELE A2 Grammar Hub

Looking for a deeper dive?
This guide covers the essentials for the DELE A2 exam. If you want to explore more exceptions, regional variations, and historical reasons for noun genders, check out our complete guide: Spanish Noun Gender and Number: The Complete Guide

Master advanced noun gender and number rules and you’ll write and speak Spanish with greater accuracy and confidence!