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Noun Gender & Plurals Practice

Every Spanish noun is masculine or feminine, and the plural follows simple endings. Practice el vs la and singular vs plural with 22 sentences and instant explanations.

•22 exercises•~7 min to complete•A1 – A2 level
IRead first

The rule, in plain English.

Every Spanish noun has a gender — masculine (el) or feminine (la) — and you have to learn it with the noun. The ending is a strong clue: most nouns ending in -o are masculine and most ending in -a are feminine, but there are reliable sub-rules and a handful of exceptions worth memorizing.

Plurals are more regular: add -s after a vowel, -es after a consonant, and change a final -z to -ces.

22 exercises below. Read the explanation after each answer — that's where the rule sinks in.

IIQuick reference
Usually masculine-o, -ma, -or, -aje
01
Ending in -o
el libro, el coche, el dinero
02
Greek -ma words
el problema, el tema, el programa
03
Ending in -or, -aje, -an
el color, el viaje, el pan
04
Days, months, languages, rivers
el lunes, el español, el Ebro
Usually feminine-a, -ción, -dad, -tud
01
Ending in -a
la casa, la mesa, la silla
02
Ending in -ción / -sión
la canción, la decisión
03
Ending in -dad / -tad / -tud
la ciudad, la libertad, la actitud
04
Ending in -umbre / -ie / -sis
la costumbre, la serie, la crisis
Watch out — common exceptions
  • Feminine despite -ola mano, la foto, la moto, la radio
  • Masculine despite -ael día, el mapa, el sofá, el clima
  • el agua, el águila (feminine, but el for sound)el agua fría, las aguas
Making nouns plural
  • Vowel + -scasa → casas, libro → libros
  • Consonant + -espapel → papeles, ciudad → ciudades
  • Final -z → -ceslápiz → lápices, luz → luces
  • Stressed -í / -ú add -esrubí → rubíes, but café → cafés
IIIPractice exercises

Practice.

Answer first, then read the explanation. Don't skip it — that's the whole point.

Exercise 01 of 22Tag: Ending -o
Fill in the blank

_____ libro está sobre la mesa.

The book is on the table.

Exercise 02 of 22Tag: Ending -a
Fill in the blank

_____ casa de mis abuelos es grande.

My grandparents' house is big.

Exercise 03 of 22Tag: Greek -ma
Fill in the blank

_____ problema no tiene solución fácil.

The problem has no easy solution.

Exercise 04 of 22Tag: Ending -ción
Fill in the blank

_____ canción es muy famosa en España.

The song is very famous in Spain.

Exercise 05 of 22Tag: Ending -dad
Fill in the blank

_____ ciudad tiene mucha historia.

The city has a lot of history.

Exercise 06 of 22Tag: Exception — la mano
Fill in the blank

Me duele _____ mano derecha.

My right hand hurts.

Exercise 07 of 22Tag: Exception — el día
Fill in the blank

_____ día está soleado hoy.

The day is sunny today.

Exercise 08 of 22Tag: Plural — vowel
Fill in the blank

Tengo dos _____ nuevos. (zapato)

I have two new shoes.

Exercise 09 of 22Tag: Plural — consonant
Fill in the blank

Necesito tres _____ para escribir. (papel)

I need three papers to write.

Exercise 10 of 22Tag: Plural — z to ces
Fill in the blank

En la mesa hay tres _____. (lápiz)

There are three pencils on the table.

Exercise 11 of 22Tag: Ending -or
Fill in the blank

_____ color de tu coche es bonito.

The color of your car is nice.

Exercise 12 of 22Tag: Exception — el mapa
Fill in the blank

¿Dónde está _____ mapa de la ciudad?

Where is the map of the city?

Exercise 13 of 22Tag: el agua rule
Fill in the blank

_____ agua de esta fuente está muy fría.

The water from this fountain is very cold.

Exercise 14 of 22Tag: Plural article
Fill in the blank

_____ flores del jardín son rojas.

The flowers in the garden are red.

Exercise 15 of 22Tag: Exception — la foto
Fill in the blank

¿Te gusta _____ foto que saqué ayer?

Do you like the photo I took yesterday?

Exercise 16 of 22Tag: Ending -umbre
Fill in the blank

Es _____ costumbre típica de mi familia.

It's a typical custom in my family.

Exercise 17 of 22Tag: Plural — stressed vowel
Fill in the blank

En la cafetería sirven varios _____. (café)

At the café they serve several coffees.

Exercise 18 of 22Tag: Spotting errors
Choose the correct sentence

Which phrase has the wrong article?

Spot the wrong article.

Exercise 19 of 22Tag: Spotting errors
Choose the correct sentence

Which plural is formed incorrectly?

Spot the wrong plural.

Exercise 20 of 22Tag: Ending -e
Fill in the blank

_____ coche de mi padre es azul.

My father's car is blue.

Exercise 21 of 22Tag: Plural article agreement
Fill in the blank

_____ problemas de matemáticas son difíciles.

The math problems are difficult.

Exercise 22 of 22Tag: Gender by ending
Choose the correct sentence

Which noun is feminine?

Pick the feminine noun.

Every answer is explained

Not just a green check. A short paragraph telling you why.

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More to practice

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02 · A1 – A2

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Once you know the gender, the adjective has to match it. Drill the endings.

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03 · A1 – A2

Possessive Adjectives Practice

Mi, tu, su, nuestro — possessives agree with the noun, not the owner.

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Coming soon

Also planned in this category.

Not live yet. Working through the catalog one topic at a time.

  • DemonstrativesSoonA220 ex.
  • Relative PronounsSoonB120 ex.
Questions answered

Common questions.

How do I know if a Spanish noun is masculine or feminine?+

The ending is the best clue: -o is usually masculine, -a usually feminine. Nouns ending in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine; nouns ending in -ma (Greek), -or, -aje are masculine. But gender is part of the word, so it's safest to learn each noun with its article.

Why is it el problema and not la problema?+

Problema comes from Greek, and Greek nouns ending in -ma are masculine in Spanish: el problema, el tema, el sistema, el programa. The -a ending is misleading here.

Why do we say el agua if agua is feminine?+

Agua is feminine, but a singular noun beginning with a stressed a- (or ha-) takes el instead of la to avoid two a-sounds running together: el agua, el águila, el hambre. The adjective stays feminine (el agua fría) and the plural is las aguas.

How do you make Spanish nouns plural?+

Add -s after a vowel (casa → casas), add -es after a consonant (papel → papeles), and change a final -z to -ces (lápiz → lápices). Nouns ending in an unstressed vowel + s don't change (el lunes → los lunes).

What are the most common gender exceptions?+

Feminine despite -o: la mano, la foto, la moto, la radio. Masculine despite -a: el día, el mapa, el sofá, el clima, el problema, el idioma. These come up constantly, so they're worth memorizing first.

Are these noun gender exercises free?+

Yes. All 22 exercises run in your browser, need no signup, and give a clear explanation after every answer.