Notes
Gender and number
- Nouns are masculine (often -o) or feminine (often -a, -ción, -dad). Learn exceptions: el día, el mapa, el problema, la mano, la foto.
- Plurals: vowel + -s; consonant + -es; z → ces (lápices). Accents may drop or appear: lecciones, jóvenes.
- A mixed group takes the masculine plural.
Articles
| the | a / some | |
|---|---|---|
| masc. sing. | el | un |
| fem. sing. | la | una |
| masc. pl. | los | unos |
| fem. pl. | las | unas |
- Contractions: al (a + el) and del (de + el). Hay = there is / there are.
Adjectives
- Agree in gender and number: alto / alta / altos / altas; -e and most consonant adjectives have two forms (grande / grandes).
- Descriptive adjectives and colors go after the noun; numbers and mucho go before.
- buen and mal before a masculine singular noun.
- azul, verde, gris, marrón do not change for gender.
Topics in this unit
Each topic has its own short notes and practice.
Practice
Mano is a feminine exception.
Both words end in consonants, so both add -es.
Amigas is feminine plural.
Cine is masculine, so a + el = al.
Una profesora simpática with el pelo rubio = a nice, blond (female) teacher.
Casa is feminine, so it must be una casa blanca.
Free response
Write your answer first, then open the scoring guide.
Free-response question
Describe a classroom and a classmate in Spanish.
(a) Write a sentence saying there are three red books and a black backpack in the classroom.
Show the answer and scoring guide
En la clase hay tres libros rojos y una mochila negra.
Check off the points you earned:
(b) Describe a female classmate named Lucía as tall, smart and hard-working.
Show the answer and scoring guide
Lucía es alta, inteligente y trabajadora.
Check off the points you earned:
(c) Rewrite the sentence "El chico es simpático" so it is about two boys, and explain each change.
Show the answer and scoring guide
Los chicos son simpáticos. El becomes los (plural article), chico adds -s, es becomes son, and simpático adds -s to agree.
Check off the points you earned: