Language Learning Factory

Grammar is an essential part of any language in order to speak and write it in correct form. Knowing grammar enhances the confidence level while speaking.

Spanish grammar is very simple after knowing few basic formats and the proper use. We have mentioned below few basic techniques and rules that could help in normal conversation and can be applied in writing general Spanish context.

Gender forms in Spanish:
Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine.  The rules for determining the gender of a noun is given below:

• Most of the nouns which denote living things are either masculine or feminine.

• Most of the nouns which end in -o are masculine.
• Most of the nouns which end in –a, are feminine.
• Masculine nouns which end in a consonant are often the corresponding feminine form of the forms which ends in -a.
• Some nouns which refer people use the same form of masculine and feminine. These nouns indicate the gender by the article (el or la).
• Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.
• Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine.
• A few nouns that end in -o are feminine

Masculine nouns end up with a consonant and often have a corresponding feminine form which ends up with -a.
Examples:
el professor  -  la profesora
el doctor     -   la doctora
el señor       -  la señora

Some nouns refer people and are used in the same form for both masculine and feminine; and the noun indicates the gender by the article (el or la).
Examples:
el estudiante    -    la estudiante
el pianist          -    la pianista
el artista          -    la artista

The nouns which end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.
Examples:
la televisión
la decisión
la conversación
la habitación
la ciudad
la universidad
la dificultad
la libertad
la actitud
la gratitud
la certidumbre
la muchedumbre

The nouns which end up in –a, are masculine.
Examples:
el problema
el telegrama
el programa
el mapa
el sistema
el poema
el día
el tema
el clima
el idioma
el sofá
el planeta

The nouns which end up in -ma are masculine.
Examples:
el telegrama
el programa
el problema
el sistema
el poema
el idioma
el clima
el tema

The nouns that end in -ma are feminine.
Examples:
la cama
la pluma

The nouns that end in –a, are exceptions and they must be memorized.
Examples:
el día
el mapa
el planeta
el sofá

The nouns which end up in -o are feminine.
Examples:
la mano
la radio

Plural forms in Spanish:
Here are some rules which are used for converting nouns into the plural form.

• If a noun ends up in a vowel, then simply add -s.
• If a noun ends up in a consonant, then simply add -es.
• If a noun ends up in -z, then change the z to c before adding -es.
• If a noun ends up in ión, then drop the written accent before adding -es.
• If the plural refers to a mixed group, then use the masculine.
• If it is a compound noun, then change "el" to "los".

If a noun ends up in a vowel, make it plural by adding -s.
Examples:
libro: libros        -   (libro + s)
pluma: plumas   -   (pluma + s)
chico: chicos      -   (chico + s)
señora: señoras  -   (señora + s)

The definite articles (el, la) also change in the plural form, and they become "los" and "las."
Examples:
el libro: los libros
la pluma: las plumas
el chico: los chicos
la señora: las señoras

If a noun ends up with a consonant, then make it plural by adding -es.
Examples:
el borrador: los borradores           -   (borrador + es)
la universidad: las universidades  -  (universidad + es)
el profesor: los profesores             -  (profesor + es)
la ciudad: las ciudades                  -   (ciudad + es)

If the noun ends up in -ión, add –es, then drop the written accent.
Examples:
el avión: los aviones
la conversación: las conversaciones
la sección: las secciones
la televisión: las televisiones

If a noun ends up in -z, then add -es and change the z to c.
Examples:
el lápiz: los lápices
la voz: las voces
el tapiz: los tapices
la actriz: las actrices

Masculine plural is used when the plural refers to two or more nouns of different genders.
Examples:
2 perros + 6 perras  = 8 perros (not perras)
1 gato + 8 gatas       = 9 gatos (not gatas)

Some nouns are compound nouns, which are formed by combining two words; they are always masculine. The plural form is formed by changing the "el" to "los."
Examples:
el abrelatas   -  los abrelatas
el piraguas    -  los piraguas

Negations in Spanish:
Here are some rules and examples of negations in Spanish. To make any sentence negative, place the word "no" before the verb.
Examples:

Ella no habla ingles     -    She doesn't speak English.
Él no es profesor.        -     He is not a professor.

Whenever the statement is negative, two negative words are required.
Examples:
¿Habla Ud. español?                   -     Do you speak Spanish?
No. No hablo español.                -     No. I don't speak Spanish.
¿ Está Gerardo en la clase?         -     Is Gerardo in the class?
No. Gerardo no está en la clase.  -     No. Gerardo is not in the class.
¿Siempre estudias?                       -    Do you always study?
No, nunca estudio.                        -    No, I never study.

Below mentioned is the list of affirmative words and their negative counterparts.
Examples:
algo      -   something
nada      -  nothing
alguien  -  somebody
nadie     -  nobody
algún (-o, -a, -os, -as)    -  some, something
ningún (-o, -a, -os, -as)  -  no, none
siempre   -   always
nunca      -   never
jamás      -   never ever
también    -  also
tampoco    - neither, not either
o . . . o       -  either . . . or
ni . . . ni     -  neither . . . nor

The negative words can be used alone, preceding the verb.
Examples:
Nadie habla.
Nobody speaks.
Él nunca come.
He never eats.
Alfredo tampoco baila.
Alfredo doesn't dance either.

The negative words can also be used with the word "no," followed by the verb. Note that unlike English, double negatives are acceptable in Spanish.
Examples:
No habla nadie.
Nobody speaks.
Él no come nunca.
He never eats.
Alfredo no baila tampoco .
Alfredo doesn't dance either.

Three negative words can occur in the same sentence.
Examples:
No compro nada nunca.
I never buy anything.
Él no compra nada tampoco.
He doesn't buy anything either.

Four negative words can be in the same sentence.
Examples:
Yo no veo nunca a nadie tampoco.
I never see anybody either.

Spanish do not mix the negative and affirmative words.
Examples:
Maria doesn't need anything.     -     NOT Maria doesn't need nothing.
María no necesita nada.              -    NOT María no necesita algo.