Nouns: forming feminine and plural nouns; infinitives used as nouns

Q: How do you form the feminine version of masculine nouns ending in -o ?

Change the ending -o to -a (for example, el vecino becomes la vecina ).

Q: How do you form the feminine version of masculine nouns ending in -or ?

Add an -a to the end of the masculine noun (for example, el profesor becomes la profesora ).

Q: How are plural nouns formed when the singular noun ends in an unstressed vowel?

Add -s to the end of the word (for example, la casa becomes las casas ).

Q: How do you form the plural of a noun ending in a consonant?

Add -es to the end of the singular noun (for example, el plan becomes los planes ).

Q: How do nouns ending in the letter -z form their plural in Spanish?

Change the final -z to -ces (for example, la nariz becomes las narices ).

Q: What happens to the written accent mark in nouns ending in -(i)ón when pluralised?

Drop the written accent mark and add -es (for example, la competición becomes las competiciones ).

Q: How do you translate an English '-ing' verb acting as the subject of a sentence into Spanish?

Use the infinitive form of the verb (for example, Hacer ejercicio es bueno for Exercising is good ).

Q: How do you use nationality adjectives as nouns to refer to people or languages?

Add a definite article before the adjective (e.g. el inglés for the language, or la española for a Spanish woman).

Spanish (2024) (1SP1) · Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) · 6 min read · Updated: 27 Aug 2026

Mastering Spanish Nouns: Feminine Forms, Plurals, and Infinitives

Welcome to your study guide for Spanish Nouns! In Spanish, every single noun has a gender (masculine or feminine) and a number (singular or plural). Understanding how to switch between masculine and feminine, how to make words plural, and how to use verbs as nouns will boost your accuracy across all four GCSE exam papers: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.

Don't worry if grammar rules seem tricky at first. We will break everything down into clear, bite-sized patterns with plenty of examples!

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Part 1: Forming Feminine Nouns

Most nouns referring to people and animals change depending on whether they refer to a male or a female. Here are the core rules tested in the Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Spanish specification.

Rule 1: Nouns ending in -o change to -a

This is the most common pattern in Spanish. Simply swap the final letter -o for an -a.

• el vecino (the male neighbour) \(\rightarrow\) la vecina (the female neighbour)
• el hermano (the brother) \(\rightarrow\) la hermana (the sister)

Rule 2: Masculine nouns ending in -or add -a

When a masculine noun ends in the letters -or, keep the word intact and attach an -a to the end.

• el profesor (the male teacher) \(\rightarrow\) la profesora (the female teacher)

Rule 3: Invariable endings (-ante, -ente, and -ista)

Some nouns keep the exact same ending whether referring to a man or a woman. You do not change the ending of the noun; instead, you change only the article (el or la).

• -ante / -ente: el estudiante (the male student) \(\rightarrow\) la estudiante (the female student)
• -ista: el artista (the male artist) \(\rightarrow\) la artista (the female artist)

Rule 4: Job titles and modern usage tolerance

In modern Spanish, some job titles are evolving. Edexcel examiners show appropriate tolerance for both traditional and modern forms of biological gender relating to jobs.

• Example: el jefe (the male boss) \(\rightarrow\) la jefe or la jefa (the female boss). Both forms are accepted!

Quick Review — Feminine Nouns:

• Ends in -o? Change to -a.
• Ends in -or? Add -a.
• Ends in -ante, -ente, or -ista? Keep the noun the same, change the article to la!

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Part 2: Forming Plural Nouns

To talk about more than one person, place, or thing, you need to make your nouns plural. Follow these four simple spelling rules.

Rule 1: Nouns ending in an unstressed vowel add -s

If the noun ends in a regular vowel (a, e, i, o, u), just add -s to the end.

• el sitio (the site / place) \(\rightarrow\) los sitios (the sites / places)
• la casa (the house) \(\rightarrow\) las casas (the houses)

Rule 2: Nouns ending in a consonant add -es

When a noun ends in a consonant, add -es. Watch out: some words lose their written accent mark in the plural because the natural spoken stress stays on the correct syllable without needing the accent mark.

• el plan (the plan) \(\rightarrow\) los planes (the plans)
• el jardín (the garden) \(\rightarrow\) los jardines (the gardens) — notice the accent on í disappears!

Rule 3: Nouns ending in -z change to -ces

In Spanish spelling, the letter z changes to c before the letter e. Therefore, drop the -z and add -ces.

• la nariz (the nose) \(\rightarrow\) las narices (the noses)

Rule 4: Nouns ending in -(i)ón drop the accent and add -es

Nouns ending in -ón or -ión lose their written accent mark when you make them plural.

• la competición (the competition) \(\rightarrow\) las competiciones (the competitions)

Quick Review — Plural Nouns:

• Vowel ending \(\rightarrow\) add -s (sitio \(\rightarrow\) sitios)
• Consonant ending \(\rightarrow\) add -es (plan \(\rightarrow\) planes)
• Ends in -z \(\rightarrow\) change to -ces (nariz \(\rightarrow\) narices)
• Ends in -ión / -ín \(\rightarrow\) drop the accent and add -es (competición \(\rightarrow\) competiciones; jardín \(\rightarrow\) jardines)

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Part 3: Infinitives Used as Nouns

An infinitive is the basic form of a verb before it is conjugated (ending in -ar, -er, or -ir, such as hablar, comer, or hacer).

Rule 1: Infinitives acting as English "-ing" subjects

In English, we often use the "-ing" form (the gerund) when an activity is the subject of a sentence (e.g., "Exercising is good" or "Swimming is fun").

In Spanish, you must use the infinitive for this, not the present participle (-ando / -iendo).

• Hacer ejercicio es bueno para la salud.
(Exercising is good for health / To do exercise is good for health.)

Exam Tip: Starting an essay sentence with an infinitive (like Leer es importante or Comer bien es esencial) is an easy way to score high marks for grammatical accuracy!

Rule 2: Languages and Nationalities derived from Adjectives

You can turn adjectives into nouns to talk about languages and groups of people:

• Languages: Place the masculine definite article el before the masculine adjective.
— inglés (English) \(\rightarrow\) (el) inglés (the English language)

• Nationalities: Place the matching article (el, la, los, las) before the nationality adjective.
— el español (the Spanish man)
— la española (the Spanish woman)
— los españoles (the Spanish men / Spanish people)
— las españolas (the Spanish women)

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Examiner Pitfalls: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Make sure you do not fall into these common traps in your exams:

1. Keeping unnecessary accents in plurals:
\(\times\) Incorrect: las competiciónes, los jardínes
\(\checkmark\) Correct: las competiciones, los jardines

2. Forgetting the Z-to-C shift:
\(\times\) Incorrect: narizes
\(\checkmark\) Correct: narices

3. Over-feminising invariable words:
\(\times\) Incorrect: la estudianta, la dentisto
\(\checkmark\) Correct: la estudiante, la dentista (the noun itself stays identical; only the article el / la changes)

4. Using -ando / -iendo as the subject of a sentence:
\(\times\) Incorrect: Haciendo ejercicio es bueno
\(\checkmark\) Correct: Hacer ejercicio es bueno (always use the infinitive!)

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Summary Checklist

Before moving on to the next topic, check that you can:

\(\square\) Change masculine nouns ending in -o and -or to feminine forms.
\(\square\) Keep nouns ending in -ante, -ente, and -ista invariable and change only the article.
\(\square\) Add -s to vowels and -es to consonants to create plurals.
\(\square\) Change -z to -ces and drop accent marks on words ending in -(i)ón and -ín in the plural.
\(\square\) Use an infinitive verb (e.g. hacer, leer) as a noun subject instead of an "-ando/-iendo" form.

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

How do you form the feminine version of masculine nouns ending in -o?

Change the ending -o to -a (for example, el vecino becomes la vecina).

How do you form the feminine version of masculine nouns ending in -or?

Add an -a to the end of the masculine noun (for example, el profesor becomes la profesora).

How do you form the feminine of nouns ending in -ante, -ente, or -ista?

Keep the noun ending unchanged and only switch the article from el to la (for example, el estudiante becomes la estudiante).

How are plural nouns formed when the singular noun ends in an unstressed vowel?

Add -s to the end of the word (for example, la casa becomes las casas).

How do you form the plural of a noun ending in a consonant?

Add -es to the end of the singular noun (for example, el plan becomes los planes).

How do nouns ending in the letter -z form their plural in Spanish?

Change the final -z to -ces (for example, la nariz becomes las narices).

What happens to the written accent mark in nouns ending in -(i)ón when pluralised?

Drop the written accent mark and add -es (for example, la competición becomes las competiciones).

How do you translate an English '-ing' verb acting as the subject of a sentence into Spanish?

Use the infinitive form of the verb (for example, Hacer ejercicio es bueno for Exercising is good).

How do you use nationality adjectives as nouns to refer to people or languages?

Add a definite article before the adjective (e.g. el inglés for the language, or la española for a Spanish woman).

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