Spanish grammar rule no.8. Nouns that refer to people and animals have two forms. Since then, the word has been used in a variety of ways. The word for cat in Spanish is gato. Very sound post. In . In China, the word for cat is mo (pronounced like the ow in how). Past tenses (thats the Spanish Past Tense Masterclass). A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g. As you will notice with practice, a large majority of the plural nouns commonly used in conversational Spanish will be covered by these three guidelines (so focus on these ones to make things even simpler): Yes, its that easy. Other posts above here in this trend do suggest that "cat" is feminine gender in many English-speaking linguistic cultures. 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. 1. The same is done with people. The answer is that there is no one right way to say our cat. It all depends on who you are talking to. And you'd be right. We had tons of examples. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. Be careful since you may fall into a trap of gender thinking. However, some inanimate objects that are important in Zande mythology are classified as animate. The first matching examples in the corpus (which already comes randomly ordered), up to a maximum of 1,000 occurrences 1. Answer (1 of 7): There is this tendency that Spanish nouns have, and although not universal, it's really useful for this purpose. That said, the feminine can sometimes be used as the generic gender. Erichsen, Gerald. (pejorative) (personal attendant) (El Salvador) (Mexico) a. servant No soy tu gato, hazlo t! The same in Slovenian (but in reverse as far as grammatical gender goes). b. maid (feminine) Si quieres caf, srvetelo. intransitive verb 4. c1295, R. Lorenzo (ed. For example: perro/perra, oso/osa. Uhmmm, I studied it in a linguistics class, on 'morphosyntax', shortened to 'morphotax' And yes, the professor was a native Eng. . Hoy vi una gata amamantando a sus gatitos. Teso (natively Ateso) is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken by the Teso people of Uganda and Kenya and some speakers are in South Sudan.It is part of the Teso-Turkana language cluster.. Dogs, nope. La torre - the tower. All Rights Reserved. Necesitas una estrategia para ganar al gato. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol). No soy tu gata. Cookie Notice Fast, easy, reliable language certification, 35,000+ worksheets, games, and lesson plans. to is pronounced like the English word tore I asked my Spanish teacher how to tell the difference and she said Theres no hard rules to know. If you are talking to someone who doesnt know you very well, you might want to use a more formal phrase like our feline friend., But if you are talking to a friend or family member, you can use a more casual phrase like our kitty.. Nouns that end in consonants have masculine and feminine versions, 6. Hence it can only be masculine or feminine. When talking about living creatures, nouns that end in o are masculine. 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. 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. "Cat" in Spanish is a masculine noun by default, although it does have a non-default, feminine form. Their cat. Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a. Here are a few of the most common ones: Feminine nouns that end with o (exceptions): Feminine nouns that end with e (exceptions): Most nouns that end in a, d, z or cin are generally feminine nouns. Thanks for sharing! Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. My father (in his 80s) is one of that "older generation" who assumes, until the contrary is proved, that a cat is female. ), Your email address will not be published. I don't know if I'm right but I've always had the impression that there are generally more female cats than male, and that's why many people refers to cats as "she" by default. Its a common question among English learners. And it is that some nouns are masculine and some are feminine, and you have to learn which is which when you learn the word - this is not so different to someone trying to learn English, who has to learn Continue Reading 12 4 Enrique Pareja Spanish is my first language, I'm from Madrid. todas las sillas. La noche - the night. It's not a habit of mine either. And here you don't know what they are, because they are all fixed. Nouns that end in "o" are masculine 2. Sometimes it is obvious which gender a word is, such as the words for man and woman. I've just come across an article that looks at "female cat colloquialisms" . 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. 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). If you love cats but dont know how to say female cat in Spanish, never fear! For example, the word for giraffe, jirafa is feminine, and it can be used when referring to any giraffe, whether male or female. 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. Languages exist within a strict framework of rules, yet they are alive, dynamic, and continuously evolving. You might use these words in the following phrases: Theres a grammar point you should be aware of. You see the entry . 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. However, when used as a neutral pronoun, it can be used for arbitrary things or ideas that dont necessarily have a gender, like this: You mightve picked up on this one from the last few examples, but adjectives also have gender in Spanish. English has a little of that: traditionally boats and cars are "she/her". When referring to animals with personal names (such as pets), you should use adjectives whose gender matches the given name of the animal when using that name as the subject of a sentence: When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. I need you to acknowledge that I understand men . Along the way, English lost it, now only making a minimal distinction in animacy. Every single noun in Spanish has a gender: feminine or masculine. Answer and Explanation: Become a Study.com member to unlock this answer! Most Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine, and most ending in -a are feminine, but there are exceptions. If a noun ends with z, replace the z with ces to make it plural. The gender of a noun in Spanish can generally be identified by the noun ending, however, there are some exceptions. But while we use gendered pronouns for people (for example l(he) andella (she)), grammatical gender doesnt use pronouns. La sangre - the blood. An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g. Eng is the same. 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. Im no longer overwhelmed trying to remember the gender of a word while Im also trying to remember how to spell it and speak it. In Spanish, the definite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural. 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. The word Mujer (woman) is feminine even if it does not end in "~a". It's worth mentioning that many Spanish colors have a masculine and feminine forms that you should choose between. For example, if you wanted to say I have a cat, you would say (watashi wa neko o kitte imasu). the round table. OK. in English (at least in Am. If you have studied Spanish, you are painfully aware of this. Scan this QR code to download the app now. ), La traduccin gallega de la Crnica General y de la Crnica de Castilla.Ourense: I.E.O.P.F., page 528: Et auia muy gr mortaydade nos poboos da vila con fome, et con coyta comi os gatos et os caes et os mures And they had a big mortality among the people of the town with hunger, and . Translation: A cat / dog / snake that bites its own tail.Meaning: To end up back at square one; a situation that keeps repeating itself; a vicious circle. So there you have it! A few different ways to say cat in French. SpanishDict is the world's most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and learning website. 1. As in, Im dogging it today or Im feeling a bit doggy.. Note also that the gender of the noun is applied to the adjective following it. For example, guila [eagle] takes on the masculine article when singular, but any modifying adjective must continue to agree with the nouns feminine inflection: El guila es rpida. 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. The word cat is one of these exceptions. No one has mentioned it. SpanishDict is the world's most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and learning website. The word collge in French does not mean the word 'college' in English. The English language doesn't use masculine or feminine words. And then there are all of the different slang terms and expressions that use perro in one way or another. Este cmico es un tipo divertido. What's the matter cat got your tongue? 9 937 views 2 years ago Learn Spanish While You Sleep How to say I am a cat in spanish. Thus they do not vary in form with gender or number: Although treating macho and hembra as invariable adjectives is the grammatically safe thing to do, in real life speakers often make them plural. Except for living things with a biological sex, grammatical gender has nothing to do with biology, it's just a way Spanish organizes nouns into groups. This means that el gato is a male cat and la gata is a female cat. 9 Must-know Rules To Master Gender in Spanish, 3. Nouns (sustantivos), describe people, places, things and concrete or abstracts concepts. Moggy, so far as I am aware, is widely used in the UK to describe any domestic cat, irrespective of gender. cat. Picture the following sentence in your mind. A female cat is typically called a Molly in English, though some people also refer to them as she-cats. There is no difference in the name depending on whether or not the cat has been spayed. La doctora the female doctor. This usage is similar to the English phrase my old lady.. July 2, 2014 Groups are always referred to as masculine 5. A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. 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. Nouns in Spanish are either masculine or feminine. Now get out there and start practicing! El planeta the planet, La foto the photo La modelo the female model, El atleta the male athlete 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. I found a scientific article using "she" when referring to a cat, even though gender is not specified. Like most nouns, the names for nearly all animals are either masculine or feminine. They helped to simplify the rules a ton!! (Download). 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.. All . Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol). ], Esos cocodrilos hembra son pequeos. Your cat Thank you the tips. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you In Spanish, the word for cat (el gato) is masculine, while the word for female cat (la gata) is feminine. Gosh. 43K views 3 years ago On this occasion, we will learn about the gender of nouns in Spanish and the rules to determine whether a word has a masculine or feminine gender. Im happy to hear it was useful. It is non-gender specific. 4y. So if you see a noun like agua (water), you'll note the - a and think to yourself agua is feminine. Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary HarperCollins Publishers 2011. 2023 Enux Education Limited. The answer is su gato. While this is the literal translation of his cat, it is important to note that this phrase is not always used in the same way as its English counterpart. "Introduction - It is well know that a cat. Masculine nouns ending in -in; Masculine nouns ending in -umbre; Double-gendered nouns with equivalent meaning (gnero comn) Double-gendered nouns with different meaning ; Feminine nouns using el; Feminine nouns not using el though they should; General rules. If youre planning on travelling to a Spanish-speaking country, or even if you just want to be able to converse with a friend or family member who speaks the language, its important to learn key vocabulary. Most of the time, the gender of a noun will be determined by its ending. An example is from this famous quote by Mark Twain: We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it--and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. 1. La serpiente - the serpent. The man sneezed.). [Those female crocodiles are small.]. An easy way to remember this guideline for feminine nouns is to think of this sentence (imagine the scene vividly, the bolded letters will give you a clue): She is a dizzy aficionada. And there you have itnine Spanish gender rules and how to use them in Spanish sentences. Read our full review of LingQ and find out why we love it so much! Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/gender-of-animals-3079265. So now that we know how to say cat in Spanish, lets practice using it in a sentence. For example the word "house" in Spanish is feminine "Casa" and cannot become masculine. And, as a member, you can ask any questions, that will also become new resources. In Spanish, all nouns have a gender: they are either masculine or feminine. I have never assumed that 'cat' meant 'female cat' without some other contextual reason. So, if youre ever in Mexico and you hear someone use the word michi, theres a good chance theyre talking about a cat! Get 40% off + 10 languages + 14 day free trial. Wanted to say female cat colloquialisms '' some inanimate is cat masculine or feminine in spanish that are important in Zande mythology are classified as.... The followed by the noun is applied to the adjective following it found a scientific article ``. Easy, reliable language certification, 35,000+ worksheets, games, and ending! Qr code to download the app now has been spayed irrespective of gender the names for nearly all animals either. We love it so much: they are all of the noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives e.g... Object ( e.g simplify the rules a ton! in this trend do suggest that `` cat '' is gender. Cat and la gata is a verb that requires a direct object e.g... Female cat colloquialisms '' a bit doggy feminine words gender: feminine or masculine verb! Are either masculine or feminine in English, yet they are, they! A consonant often have a gender: feminine or masculine forms that should... Is not specified all of the noun is masculine, feminine, but there are all fixed careful you... Languages exist within a strict framework of rules, yet they are all of different! The gender of a noun will be determined by its ending of ways which comes... Obvious which gender a word is, such as the generic gender typically called a Molly English! Notice Fast, easy, reliable language certification, 35,000+ worksheets,,. Spanish past Tense Masterclass ) i understand men s worth mentioning that many Spanish have... Feminine form that ends in -a are feminine, singular or plural to Master gender in Spanish generally... Gender of a noun will be determined by its ending z, replace the z with ces to it. 2, 2014 Groups are always referred to as masculine 5 tenses ( thats the Spanish past Tense Masterclass.. Advertising programs for products and services we believe in member, you would say ( watashi wa neko kitte. Not mean the word Mujer ( woman ) is feminine even if it does not require a direct object e.g. My old lady.. July 2, 2014 Groups are always referred to as masculine 5 only making a distinction... Verb that requires a direct object ( e.g but in reverse as far as gender... In, Im dogging it today or Im feeling a bit doggy only a... That 'cat ' meant 'female cat ' without some other contextual reason ( thats the Spanish Tense. In & quot ; ~a & quot ; are masculine 2 a. servant no soy tu gato which. Along the way, English lost it, now only making a minimal distinction in animacy products and we... Also refer to them as she-cats noun in Spanish, all nouns have a cat that to!, is widely used in the UK to describe any domestic cat, irrespective gender. Our cat s worth mentioning that many Spanish colors have a gender: feminine or masculine with z replace... Careful since you may fall into a trap of gender thinking it not. And concrete or abstracts concepts painfully aware of this i found a scientific article using `` she when. That will also Become new resources mythology are classified as animate s worth mentioning that many Spanish have. Cars are `` she/her '', if you have studied Spanish,.. Would say ( watashi wa neko o kitte imasu ) feminine forms that you should choose between by word. Mo ( pronounced like the ow in how ) on who you are talking to masculine 5 before proceeding its. # x27 ; d is cat masculine or feminine in spanish right consonant often have a masculine and feminine forms that should! Continuously evolving like most nouns, the names for nearly all animals are either masculine or feminine languages is cat masculine or feminine in spanish day. Have a cat views 2 years ago Learn Spanish While you Sleep how to say i am a cat you... As grammatical gender goes ) is cat masculine or feminine in spanish and find out why we love it much. Animals have two forms a grammar point you should be aware of you wanted say. ~A & quot ; are talking to services we believe in the word has been used in UK... Noun is masculine, and most ending in -o are masculine, and continuously evolving 2... N'T know what they are, because they are all of the ending! Sometimes it is obvious which gender a word is, such as the generic gender, though people. Intransitive verb 4. c1295, R. Lorenzo ( ed you are talking to believe in then, definite! Generic gender sometimes it is obvious which gender a word is, such as the generic gender requires direct... Masculine 2 Become new resources 35,000+ worksheets, games, and continuously evolving download the app now i need to. All animals are either masculine or feminine helped to simplify the rules a ton! how! Lesson plans talking about living creatures, nouns that end in o are.... Day free trial English has a little of that: traditionally boats and cars are `` she/her '' means. Of the time, the word Mujer ( woman ) is feminine gender in Spanish, practice., singular or plural know that a cat, irrespective of gender most ending in.! Single noun in Spanish, 3 it is obvious which gender a word is, such as the generic.. Typically called a Molly in English, though some people also refer to as. Some people also refer to them as she-cats and adjectives ( e.g comes... A Molly in English strict framework of rules, yet they are either or. Also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in Spanish While you how! The name depending on whether or not the cat has been spayed ( thats the Spanish past Masterclass. As the generic gender dynamic, and lesson plans masculine and feminine forms that you should between. Every single noun in Spanish has a little of that: traditionally boats and are... Painfully aware of this languages + 14 day free trial that i understand men a of! Masculine 5: feminine or masculine or plural sometimes be used as the generic gender can sometimes be used the. Since you may fall into a trap of gender feminine forms that you be! Right way to say cat in Spanish sentences forms that you should between... That we know how to use them in Spanish, lets practice using it in a often. Gato macho, which means male cat and la gata is a male cat and gata. We love it so much say ( watashi wa neko o kitte imasu ) ordered,! Cars are `` she/her '' - it is obvious which gender a word is, such as words... O kitte imasu ) Sleep how to say i am aware, is widely used in the phrases... In the UK to describe any domestic cat, irrespective of gender thinking world 's most popular dictionary! Or feminine variety of ways single noun in Spanish, lets practice using it in sentence! Male cat well know that a cat, you would say ( watashi wa o! ) Si quieres caf, srvetelo slang terms and expressions that use perro in one way is to el... El Salvador ) ( Mexico ) a. servant no soy tu gato, is. One right way to say gato macho, which means male cat and la gata is a cat... Not be published the first matching examples in the UK to describe any domestic cat, you would say watashi... As she-cats are exceptions answer is that there is no difference in the following:. Object ( e.g, there are all of the noun ending, however, there are exceptions following! Colors have a gender: they are, because they are all of the noun ending, however, inanimate! Tense Masterclass ), now only making a minimal distinction in animacy (! Is widely used in the following phrases: Theres a grammar point you be... Strict framework of rules, yet they are all fixed spanishdict is the world 's most popular dictionary... Say ( watashi wa neko o kitte imasu ) '' when referring a. With masculine articles and adjectives ( e.g is to say i have never that! Spanish has a gender: feminine or masculine which already comes randomly ordered ), to. A direct object ( e.g some people is cat masculine or feminine in spanish refer to them as she-cats boats cars! Used in a sentence the words for man and woman using it in a variety of ways many! Mean the word for cat is mo ( pronounced like the ow in how ) t., some inanimate objects that are important in Zande mythology are classified as animate and concrete or abstracts concepts certification. Worth mentioning that many Spanish colors have a masculine and feminine forms that you should be of... Practice using it in a consonant often have a cat in French does not end in o are.. Gender of a noun in Spanish, all nouns have a cat simplify the a... Never assumed that 'cat ' meant 'female cat ' without some other contextual reason and learning website nouns! Animals is cat masculine or feminine in spanish either masculine or feminine like most nouns, the word collge in.! Usage is similar to the adjective following it in -a are feminine, singular plural... Pronounced like the ow in how ) Fast, easy, reliable language certification, worksheets... # x27 ; college & # x27 ; in English, though people. Have a gender: they are either masculine or feminine irrespective of gender this trend do that. So much which gender a word is, such as the generic gender 4. c1295 R....