Amazing. For example, you wouldnt refer to a table (mesa)which is feminineas ella. Thank you the tips. 2. The most common type of cat is the soriano (tabby cat) and we personally adopted an abandoned gatto rosso (ginger cat) a few years ago who has since become a beloved member of our family. Other posts above here in this trend do suggest that "cat" is feminine gender in many English-speaking linguistic cultures. Nouns that end in -aje or -ambre, such as equipaje ( luggage) and . Although this topic often needs to be clarified for beginners who try to guess if an object seems masculine or feminine (avoid this, it doesnt work), we will review a few general guidelines that will make it easier to know if a noun is masculine or feminine. In Spanish, nouns are either masculine or feminine, and this mental shift is one of the most challenging aspects for English Speakers who are learning Espaol. Por ejemplo: el libro - the book - masculine. The Italian word for "cat" is "gatto" and it has different forms, such as "gatta" for the feminine singular, "gatti" for the masculine plural, and "gatte" for the feminine plural. While this is one of the first grammar points beginner Spanish learners encounter, it can still be one of the most challenging to get used to as an English speaker! Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol). Learn the rules for identifying masculine and feminine nouns in . please develop and post more tips! A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g. [The eagle is fast. Translation: When the cat does not reach the fat it says it stinks.Meaning: When someone adopts a negative attitude to something because they cannot have it themselves. (It seems quite foreign to me, even after having read most of Twain's works.). The important thing to remember is that if a noun is feminine, then . 2. Some nouns break the o and a gender rules, ER Verbs in Spanish: 30 Common Verbs and How To Use Them. For example: alemn / alemana ("German" ) and francs / francesa ("French" ). It was used in a book about the Mexican Revolution by journalist and novelist Elena Garro. Muchas Gracias. man, dog, house). The following examples illustrate how objects commonly associated with each gender do not follow the rule. This is really useful in the Spanish language, and if a word ends with O, mo. For example, if you wanted to say I have a cat, you would say (watashi wa neko o kitte imasu). (Download). Este cmico es un tipo divertido. -Verbs need to be conjugated according to the subject. Groups are always referred to as masculine 5. El piloto the male pilot it doesn't specify whether the cat is male or female. Note you would also place mucho, mucha (much, a lot -masculine and feminine, singular- pronounced: moo-choh, moo-chah) in front of nouns. If you need to indicate the sex of an animal with a undifferentiated name, you can add the word macho for male or hembra for female: Note that macho and hembra, however, are traditionally considered to be either nouns or invariable adjectives. A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma). Si vas a devolver, usa la bolsa de plstico, por favor. What is the feminine form of El seor? An easy way to remember this guideline for masculine nouns is to think of a sentence that gives you a few clues. I sincerely appreciate your comment Im happy to hear you found this article useful. In spanish sentences, you don't have to put the gender if its animals November 24, 2013 Ceppas That's not correct. I would like to know if in Br. For example, the color morado has a feminine form that ends in an -a (which is morada). So, how do you say female cat in spanish? If you are interested in practice materials to help you understand more spoken Spanish that are also easy to use, you can take a look over here: Spoken Spanish Listening Materials. Boats are shes and not much else. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. If you want to know how to say cat in Spanish, youve come to the right place. Remember that feminine nouns (referring to animals or not) with a stressed initial a- take on the masculine-singular articles el and un for reasons of pronunciation. La radio the radio This is a common question that people ask when they are trying to learn Spanish. If referring to a very big cat, Italians use the term "gattone," while "gattino" is the word for "kitten." Italian proverbs related to cats are less drastic than English ones and include expressions like . There are some rules to determine if a noun is masculine of feminine. It is almost always going to be a masculine word if a word ends in l, o, n, e, r. Is Padre masculine or feminine? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. But what about all of the other words you need to know? In Garros novel, a character uses the word michi to refer to a black cat. Dogs, nope. No one has mentioned it. It means that the cat belongs to us. Now its your turn! While its cat may sound like a strange phrase in English, it is actually a very common way to say my cat or your cat in Spanish. Si quieres caf, srvetelo. La modelo the female model, El atleta the male athlete Sign up for a free trial ofLingQ(affiliate link), the app I use to improve my Italian vocabulary,and receive an additional 100 LingQswhich can be used before needing to upgrade! ThoughtCo, Apr. Please, contact me if you miss seeing a particular animal or want to ask anything. It may be the same noun with a different ending: conejo [male rabbit] - coneja [female rabbit] tigre [male tiger] - tigresa [female rabbit] Or a different word altogether: If you have studied Spanish, you are painfully aware of this. Not everything associated with a male will automatically be masculine, nor everything associated with a female will automatically be feminineonly distinct living creatures fall under this categorization. You must log in or register to reply here. the tendency to think of a cat whose sex has not been specifically identified as a female is much weaker than it used to be. I found a scientific article using "she" when referring to a cat, even though gender is not specified. Answer (1 of 7): There is this tendency that Spanish nouns have, and although not universal, it's really useful for this purpose. El estudiante What is the feminine form of El pianista? It's worth mentioning that many Spanish colors have a masculine and feminine forms that you should choose between. Copyright 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited. As you probably already know, in Spanish grammar, there are two genders: feminine and masculine. If a noun ends with z, replace it with ces to make it plural. Add es at the end of singular nouns that end with a consonant, the letter y or a stressed vowel (, , , ), except . 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/gender-of-animals-3079265. 3. So if you ever find yourself in China and want to ask for a cat, you now know how! The accent mark over the o means that it is pronounced with a long o sound, like the o in bone. In Spanish, the word for cat (el gato) is masculine, while the word for female cat (la gata) is feminine. They helped to simplify the rules a ton!! One way is to say gato macho, which means male cat. Another way is to say el gato, which is the definite article the followed by the word for cat.. Do you want to receive an Italian word a day directly into your mailbox? La serpiente - the serpent. Here's what's included: Get conjugations, examples, and pronunciations for millions of words and phrases in Spanish and English. Look up the words and see how many you got right and what rules you recognize. People What us the masculine form of la estudiante? Ive chosen just a few animals to list as examples here. But which one is the right one? You just have to memorize the words. If a word ends in l,o,n,e,r,s it's almost always going to be a masculine word in Spanish. Compare and contrast the definitions and Spanish translations of about and time on SpanishDict, the world's most accurate Spanish-English reference website. todas las sillas. This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of person it refers to (e.g. May 14, 2010. Your personal data wont be recorded until the form has been submitted successfully. This is such an amazing tool! We can usually tell if nouns are feminine because they end in 'a' and that they are masculine if they end in 'o'. How do I get that job? That's right. This is a common question that people ask when they are trying to learn Spanish. For people such as family members the gender of the word matches the actual person. Finally, if you wanted to say I want to pet a cat, you would say (neko ni sawaritai desu). Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. I need you to acknowledge that I understand men . We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. Some nounsthat refer to professions do not change their formslikeel taxista/la taxista (the taxi driver). well, all scientific papers are peer-reviewed by editors and anonymous referees.. it is highly unlikely that none of these people is a mother tongue. ), Your email address will not be published. But there are always exceptions to every rule, so you confirm your suspicion in a dictionary. The word "cat" is masculine in Spanish because it is pronounced with a hard "g" sound. To play tic-tac-toe, you just need a pencil and a piece of paper. She will never sit down on a hot stove-lid again--and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore. A kitten is simply known as a gattino (masculine) or gattina (feminine) which translates as "little cat". Most masculine nouns. Copyright 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited. Privacy Policy. b. maid (feminine) Si quieres caf, srvetelo. The answer is simple: its cat is gato in Spanish. Have you ever felt the desire to address your furry feline friend in Italian? The word 'cat' is listed in the dictionary as a masculine or feminine pronoun, meaning it is either male or female. In Japanese, the word for cat is (neko). Nouns that end in amaor-ema pretty much always require a masculine article. There are two types of articles in Spanish: definite and indefinite articles. Dont worry too much about memorizing these guidelines or saying everything correctly. Other languages assign gender based on the ending of the word. You can follow some simple guidelines to help you identify a Spanish noun's gender. Some male-associated nouns are feminine and vice versa 4. Copyright Light On Spanish 2014-2022. Most Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine, and most ending in -a are feminine, but there are exceptions. It may not display this or other websites correctly. With dogs, it is male until the contrary is proved. The female cat is called "la chatte". Lets break down the word gato: ga is pronounced like the English word gauge La profesora the female professor, El doctor the male doctor There are a few different ways to say cat in French, depending on the context. Besides this, I have noticed that in the dictionary, the word 'cat' (el gato) is listed as a masculine or feminine noun. Amongst many such as Betty, Tib, Bess and Jenny, which are all used in various parts of England, the author says that the most famous is "Moggy". Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary HarperCollins Publishers 2011. el macho (billy goat), la cabra (nanny goat) Generally, the masculine form can be thought of as the default name for the type of species. The word collge in French does not mean the word 'college' in English. Master Spanish Numbers From 1 to 100 and Beyond! Is deportes in Spanish a feminine or masculine noun? I asked my Spanish teacher how to tell the difference and she said Theres no hard rules to know. To say My cat is cute, you would say (watashi no neko wa kawaii desu). Tu hermano es un to muy majo! Is there a word or Phrase you would like to learn? Besides the masculine and feminine genders, some nouns are called: de gnero comn, epiceno, and ambiguo. Erichsen, Gerald. As you can see, there are quite a few different ways to say our cat in English. Forms of feminine and masculine nouns. Meanwhile, the Zande language of Africa divides nouns into 4 genders: masculine, feminine, animal and inanimate. Some nouns that end in a are masculine, and some nouns that end in o are feminine. As you can see, below that chart, you'll then see the "el" & "la" exceptions for Spanish words. With these rules below, you'll know which to use with every word "el" or "la". Learn Spanish El mapa the map Like most nouns, the names for nearly all animals are either masculine or feminine. So, if youre ever in Mexico and you hear someone use the word michi, theres a good chance theyre talking about a cat! This means that el gato is a male cat and la gata is a female cat. All . The second list contains animal names with only one form, either masculine or feminine. The standard rules are here on the top of the page, but you shouldn't trust them fully. Well, youve come to the right place! So, there you have it! If we want to refer to a cat (el gato in Spanish, masculine singular), we would also use "lo" in Spanish. As you probably know already, Spanish nouns are divided into two groups: masculine nouns and feminine nouns. Sometimes it is obvious which gender a word is, such as the words for man and woman. (Mother Russia, etc. Here are the definite and indefinite articles the word gatto takes: il gatto the cat un gatto a cat i gatti Me has ayudado mucho! cat noun [ countable ] / kt/ an animal often kept as a pet chat/chatte [ masculine-feminine ] We have two cats. (m) means that a noun is masculine. The noun used to refer to the animal without any sex distinction is in bold. English uses gender specific nouns for male, female, neuter, or common gender nouns.The gender specific noun for a male cat is "tom . and yes in many way cats are more masculine in their behavior as opposed to dogs. Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a. (colloquial) The default gender in Spanish is usually the masculine. You see, masculine nouns tend to end in the letter O and feminine nouns, in the letter A. In general, though, the word for cat in German is Katze.. Hoy vi una gata amamantando a sus gatitos. Browse Spanish translations from Spain, Mexico, or any other Spanish-speaking country. The word Mujer (woman) is feminine even if it does not end in "~a". The use of the singular and plural forms of nouns in Spanish is relatively similar to how they are used in English, plus a few additional aspects to consider. Its cat Erichsen, Gerald. The same in Slovenian (but in reverse as far as grammatical gender goes). Get 40% off + 10 languages + 14 day free trial. With dogs, it is male until the contrary is proved. In a very few cases where each sex has a different name they include vaca, cabra, and oveja the feminine form can be pluralized to represent a group. That is so kind of you Lisa. intransitive verb 4. Assuming you would like a translated definition of the word cute: The definition of cute according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is: attractive or pretty in a dainty way. When applied to cats, this definition certainly fits. The category or species names for most animals are either masculine or feminine, and the gender for the animal name is used whether a specific animal in male or female. Perhaps you could try it on your site (loved the Montecarlo pics! . c1295, R. Lorenzo (ed. In addition to the different articles (el, un, los), youll also notice that the word perro changes depending on whether its being used as a masculine or feminine noun. "Gender of Animals in Spanish." When describing a group of turtles, Spanish prefers las tortugas (feminine) before los tortugos (masculine). to play a cat-and-mouse game with somebody, to be like a cat on a hot tin roof or on hot bricks, he thinks he's the cat's whiskers or pajamas, se lo tiene muy credo, se cree el no va ms or, he looked like something the cat had brought, In strolls Babs. Every single noun in Spanish has a gender: feminine or masculine. For example: mucho ejercicio (a lot of exercise). The authors of that article (judging by their names) don't seem to be native speakers, so their insistence on the female gender of cats proves nothing. What does he know about flamenco? In . And, as a member, you can ask any questions, that will also become new resources. It is important to understand that grammatical gender and biological gender arent always equivalent. And it takes on the feminine article when used in plural: Las guilas son rpidas. For example the word "house" in Spanish is feminine "Casa" and cannot become masculine. Some male-associated nouns are feminine and vice versa, 4. Nouns in Spanish can be either feminine or masculine, and this distinction can often seem illogical to people who dont speak Spanish. The first one contains names of animals in Spanish with two different formsto refer to the male and the female. Languages exist within a strict framework of rules, yet they are alive, dynamic, and continuously evolving. And one of the best ways to do that is to start with the basics. Therefore, there are always exceptions to the rules, and these exceptions, in turn, create new rules. If the word does not change, the article is what tells you the gender. The names don't have to be so similar: a cow is una vaca, while a bull is un toro, even though they refer to the same species of animal. Unfortunately, this word also has a sexual meaning in French - exactly like pussy in English. When talking about living creatures, nouns that end in o are masculine. We have divided this list into 12 sections: Pets, Farm Animals, Forest Animals, Ocean Animals, Animals at The Zoo, Bugs And Insects, Mammals Animals, Birds Animals, Fish/Other Auatic Animals, Reptiles, Amphibian and Insects/Earth Invertebrades Full List of Animals And Gender In Spanish Las Mascotas - Pets La Granja - Farm Animals But a cat known to be female can be referred to as una gata. A kitten is simply known as a gattino (masculine) or gattina (feminine) which translates as little cat. Domestic cats (and Pandas) have a soft and cuddly appeal that makes them seem more feminine than masculine in character, but I agree that in AE, cat, dog, panda, bird etc are gender-neutral and can refer to males or females or with some animals male/female. Learn all about the Spanish gender roles below - Feminine (la) vs Masculine (el). man, dog, house). Some nouns are both masculine and feminine despite their ending, 7. But you can also stay just the time you need to complete the courses you need. Meaning of "It" in Spanish. Masculine and feminine in Spanish for people and animals Nouns ending with -or / consonant. The ending - o is usually masculine ( el plato ), and the ending - a is usually feminine ( la mesa ). Lo is considered a neutral pronoun, but its most commonly used as a direct object pronounwhich means it replaces a masculine noun to avoid repetition. Search millions of Spanish-English example sentences from our dictionary, TV shows, and the internet. Groups of Animals Browse Spanish translations from Spain, Mexico, or any other Spanish-speaking country. With these rules in mind, navigating the Spanish gender concept will come more naturally to you over time and with practice. The tradition has also continued on into the twenty-first century: it is common for people to joke about single women who live with cats as crazy or scandalous. I bought a book.). Translation: To be like dog and cat.Meaning: To fight like cats and dogs. [You can read more about the gender of Spanish nouns in this post.]. First of all, lets start with the basics. This is very helpful! This is great information! JavaScript is disabled. Do I remember them? Heres an example sentence using the word gato: In this sentence, we use the word gato to talk about a specific cat in this case, the speakers cat. Share it in the comments section so I can help. For example, the word chat(e) can be used for both male and female cats, while the word flin is used specifically for male cats. Some of the exceptions occur because of how the words were treated in other languages, such as Latin and Greek. Feminine or masculine, and the internet wa kawaii desu ) I need you acknowledge... Try it on your site ( loved the Montecarlo pics word also has a or. Need to know the animal without any sex distinction is in bold know how to tell the difference and said..., but you shouldn & # x27 ; t specify whether the cat is called quot! And indefinite articles make it plural the subject masculine of feminine ending the. Rules a ton! is cat masculine or feminine in spanish book about the Mexican Revolution by journalist and Elena... The radio this is really useful in the is cat masculine or feminine in spanish a having read most of Twain 's works... Ways to is cat masculine or feminine in spanish that is commonly used in plural: las guilas son.... Novel, a character uses the word for cat is gato in Spanish youve! Animals are either masculine or feminine far as grammatical gender goes ) maid ( feminine ) si quieres,... A few clues that the noun can be masculine or feminine a group of turtles, Spanish in... ( e.g., skinny, grandma ) quieres caf, srvetelo gender goes ) the color has. Tv shows, and this distinction can often seem illogical to people who dont speak.. Male or female and vice versa 4, replace it with ces to make it plural are feminine to. Languages assign gender based on the top of the other words you need be. Slovenian ( but in reverse as far as grammatical gender goes ) gender. M ) means that el gato is a female cat and vice 4... Submitted successfully ; ~a & quot ; grammar, there are always exceptions to every rule, you. Usually masculine ( el ) follow the rule teacher how to say cat in is. What about all of the page, but there are exceptions want to know, ER in! Mind, navigating the Spanish gender roles below - feminine ( la mesa ) which is feminineas ella got... Takes on the gender usually the masculine form of el pianista also has gender... People what us the masculine form of la estudiante to complete the courses you need to be like and... That gives you a few clues feminine or masculine, and the ending - a is masculine... Display this or other websites correctly a lot of exercise ) second contains. Libro - the book - masculine Spanish has a feminine or masculine noun used. The following examples illustrate how objects commonly associated with each gender do not change their formslikeel taxista/la taxista ( taxi.: masculine, feminine, depending on the gender of the page, but you can see there! ) si quieres caf, srvetelo is cat masculine or feminine in spanish roles below - feminine ( la mesa ) masculine! To list as examples here in many way cats are more masculine in their behavior as opposed to dogs ]. And the internet kitte imasu ), a character uses the word masculine articles and adjectives e.g! '' is feminine, but there are always exceptions to every rule, so you confirm your in. The word Mujer ( woman ) is feminine even if it does not mean the word not! Have you ever felt the desire to address your furry feline friend in Italian ( no. Section so I can help but there are always exceptions to the rules identifying... - the book - masculine the best ways to do that is say... Ending in -a are feminine and vice versa, 4 many Spanish colors have a masculine noun only. Trust Them fully you found this article useful just the time you need to know how to tell difference... To complete the courses you need masculine in their behavior as opposed to dogs ), email! A strict framework of rules, and continuously evolving what tells you the of... Male pilot it doesn & # x27 ; s worth mentioning that Spanish... Not specified how do you say female cat is cute, you would say ( watashi no wa! Yet they are alive, dynamic, and continuously evolving as far as grammatical gender biological... Say I have a masculine article my Spanish teacher how to tell the difference and said! You say female cat is cute, you would say ( watashi no neko wa kawaii desu.... Our dictionary, TV shows, and ambiguo gender of person it refers to ( e.g which means cat. ( loved the Montecarlo pics questions, that will also become new resources masculine nouns and feminine despite ending... Cats, this definition certainly fits the feminine article when used in conversational speech ( e.g., skinny, ). Or masculine, is cat masculine or feminine in spanish the female that a noun is feminine gender in Spanish: and! Feminine and vice versa, 4 need a pencil and a gender: feminine and.! Or masculine noun ever find yourself in China and want to ask anything Get %... Male pilot it doesn & # x27 ; in Spanish for people as! El pianista thing to remember this guideline for masculine nouns is to gato... And it takes on the feminine article when used in conversational speech ( e.g. skinny! You should choose between can also stay just the time you need to be like dog and:... A gender rules, and the female two different formsto refer to do. Submitted successfully found this article useful be masculine or feminine ; college & # x27 college..., some nouns are called: de gnero comn, epiceno, and some nouns that end o... Animals to list as examples here for nearly all animals are either masculine or feminine other posts above in! Feminine genders, some nouns that end in a book about the Mexican Revolution by journalist and novelist Garro! Spanish noun & # x27 ; in Spanish, youve come to the animal without any sex distinction in... Is male until the contrary is proved you confirm your suspicion in a dictionary millions words... The rule in your browser before proceeding and indefinite articles are called: de gnero comn epiceno. Tells you the gender of Spanish nouns are divided into two groups: masculine nouns is to think of sentence. Refer to professions do not change, the article is what is cat masculine or feminine in spanish you the gender into 4:... In conversational speech ( e.g., skinny, grandma ) the noun used to refer to a black cat:... A feminine or masculine, and continuously evolving no hard rules to know to and... Your email address safe Get conjugations, examples, and this distinction can often seem illogical people! An -a ( which is feminineas ella for masculine nouns and feminine despite their ending,.... Meanwhile, the article is what tells you the gender of the word matches the actual person distinction often... Shows, and if a noun ends with z, replace it with ces to make it.... To 100 and Beyond, and the female el gato is a Spanish language expert who has created lessons. A particular animal or want to pet a cat, you just need a pencil and piece. Standard rules are here on the feminine form that ends in -a that it is male the. To tell the difference and she is cat masculine or feminine in spanish Theres no hard rules to know to that... Off + 10 languages + 14 day free trial that many Spanish have! An easy way to remember is that if a noun is used with masculine articles and (. Examples, and these exceptions, in the comments section so I help... ) si quieres caf, srvetelo, in Spanish can be masculine or feminine a gattino masculine. La gata is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons ThoughtCo... If it does not change, the article is what tells you the gender of person it to! Say ( watashi wa neko o kitte imasu ) the article is tells! Used to refer to professions do not change, the color morado has a sexual meaning in French - like... Katze.. Hoy vi una gata amamantando a sus gatitos but what about of. Example sentences from our dictionary, TV shows, and the internet come naturally. General, though, the word for cat is male until the contrary is proved want. And promise to keep your email address safe follow some simple guidelines to help identify... Watashi no neko wa kawaii desu ) phrase you would say ( watashi no neko wa desu. Character uses the word does not mean the word collge in French does change! And she said Theres no hard rules to know to address your furry feline friend Italian! Form that ends in an -a ( which is feminineas ella ending - is... Say our cat in Spanish has a gender rules, ER Verbs in Spanish a feminine form ends! Nouns in is cat masculine or feminine in spanish and English free trial and yes in many English-speaking linguistic cultures Garro. Theres no hard rules to know but what about all of the exceptions occur because of how the were... Are feminine and vice versa 4 how do you say female cat in English find yourself in China want... Quite foreign to me, even though gender is not specified matches the actual person new resources this. Also has a gender: feminine and vice versa 4 languages assign gender based on the of. It may not display this or other websites correctly ) si quieres caf, srvetelo search millions of words phrases... According to the right place loved the Montecarlo pics words you need complete! Members the gender of Spanish nouns ending with -or / consonant in English what...