8 Simple Rules for Mastering Spanish Gender

Everything in Spanish is either male or female.

The language is charged with gender power.

A noun is born: Male or female?

A noun is a person, place, thing or idea. Every noun in Spanish has a specific article
that denotes the gender of the word.  They can be definite or indefinite and have
four forms:

masculine singular → el
masculine plural → los
feminine singular → la
feminine plural → las 

Examples:

person
el niño → the boy                               la niña → the girl
los niños → the boys                        las niñas → the girls
place
el restaurante  → the restaurant                     la casa  → the house
los restaurantes → the restaurants               las casas → the houses
thing
el papel → the paper                                          la mesa  → the table
los papeles → the papers                                las mesas → the tables
idea
el pensamiento  → the thought                     la idea → the idea
los pensamientos → the thoughts               las ideas  → the ideas 

Rule #1
 When speaking about living creatures, nouns that end in “o” are
masculine.
Examples:
el gato  → the male cat                                        el perro  → the male dog
los gatos → the male cats                                  los perros → the male dogs 
 el chico  → the boy                                              el oso  → the male bear
los chicos → the boys                                        los osos → the male bears
el abuelo  → the grandfather                           el tío → the uncle
los abuelos  → the grandparents                    los tíos → the uncles 

Rule #2

 When speaking about living creatures, nouns that end in “a” are
feminine.
Examples:
La gata → the female cat                    la perra → the female dog
Las gatas  → the female cats              las perras  → the female dogs
La chica → the girl                               la osa  → the female bear
Las chicas  → the girls                         las osas → the female bears 

*Beware of the gender trap!*

There is a slight possibility that you might fall into a “gender thinking trap.”  This
deception tricks you into thinking that everything associated with a male will
automatically be masculine and everything associated with a female will
automatically be feminine. This is false.  Only distinct living creatures fall under
this categorization.

The following examples clearly illustrate how objects commonly associated with
each gender do not follow the rule.

 la corbata  → the necktie

 el maquillaje  → the makeup 

The Masculine in Spanish

When there is a crowd or a group of people, animals, ideas or things that have a
mixed gender, what gender is used?

If you answered, “the masculine gender is always used when there is a mixed

group,” you are already thinking in the same direction as the Spanish language. 
Rule #3
 When there is a group of mixed gender, no matter what the ratio is
of females to males and males to females, the group is always referred to
as masculine.
 1 niño + 4 niñas = 5 niños                     1 boy + 4 girls = 5 kids
3 gatos + 542 gatas  = 545 gatos         3 male cats + 542 female cats = 545 cats 
The masculine gender has more power than the female gender when it comes to
making the rules. Although the words have the same value, the male acts as the
default leader. To make the word feminine you simply add the feminine “a” touch.
Rule #4
 Masculine nouns that end in consonants (non-vowels) have a
corresponding feminine form that ends in “a”
Examples:
el profesor  → the male professor             la profesora  → the female professor
el doctor → the male doctor                       la doctora  →  the female doctor
el señor → the Mr.                                         la señora →  the Mrs. 

Nouns, Gender and Professions

Some nouns that refer to professions do not change their forms.  This does not
mean that the importance of gender disappears.  If the word does not change, the
article is in full charge of specifying gender.

Rule#5

 Some nouns that refer to professions have the same form for
masculine and feminine. The article is the only thing that changes.
Examples:
el piloto  → the male pilot                                  la piloto → the female pilot
el soldado  → the male soldier                         la soldado  → the female soldier
el modelo  → the male model                           la modelo → the female model
el poeta → the male poet                                  la poeta  → the female poet
el atleta → the male athlete                             la atleta → the female athlete
el psiquiatra → the male psychiatrist         la psquiatra → the female psychiatrist

Optional brain exercise* Make a list of nouns that currently surround you

(wherever you are) in English (you decide on how many you want to attempt).  Try
to guess their gender in Spanish.  Look up the words and see how many you got
right and what rules you recognize.

Rule #6
 Nouns that end in –sión, –ción, –dad, –tud and –umbre will always
require the feminine article.
 Examples:
la exposición  → the exhibition
la habitación →  the room
la felicidad  →  the happiness
la solicitud →  the application
la costumbre  →  the custom
Rule #7
 Nouns that end in –ma require a masculine article
Examples:
el problema →  the problem
el emblema  →  the emblem
el enigma →  the mystery

Rule #8

 Some nouns that end in “a” are masculine

 Some nouns that end in “o” are feminine
Examples:
A
el día  → the day
el mapa  → the map
el cura  → the priest
el planeta  → the planet
O
la foto → the photo
la mano →  the hand
la radio →  the radio
la moto →  the motorcycle

Best Practices When Learning a Language

Remember, learning a new language is not a result but more of a process! It is
important that you set a daily routine for your language learning that excites you
and allows you to see results.
As it relates to gender, familiarize yourself with the rules. Listen carefully for them
when watching your favorite movies. While reading a comic or newspaper, circle the
gender agreements that most surprise you. Above all, find someone to practice
with!