Ask a Question

(Create a thread)
Go Back   Spanish language learning forums > Spanish & English Languages > Grammar


Unusual Noun Gender

 

This is the place for questions about conjugations, verb tenses, adverbs, adjectives, word order, syntax and other grammar questions for English or Spanish.


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old October 28, 2008, 03:31 PM
Jessica's Avatar
Jessica Jessica is offline
...
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: PA
Posts: 8,187
Native Language: English, Chinese
Jessica is on a distinguished road
Question Unusual Noun Gender

Why is it "el" for guardarropa when it ends in an "a"? Why is it "el" for sofá? Are they "irregular"?? I'm sure my teacher told us but I think I didn't understand or didn't hear it.
Again, I thank anyone who helps me. Gracias.

Last edited by Rusty; October 28, 2008 at 03:38 PM.
Reply With Quote
   
Get rid of these ads by registering for a free Tomísimo account.
  #2  
Old October 28, 2008, 03:38 PM
Rusty's Avatar
Rusty Rusty is online now
Señor Speedy
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11,299
Native Language: American English
Rusty has a spectacular aura aboutRusty has a spectacular aura about
Not all nouns follow the 'rules' we've been taught to help us to guess the gender. My advice: memorize the gender along with the noun each and every time, instead of the 'rules' which don't always work.

Along the same line, some nouns end in an s, and are both singular and plural.
For example:
el parabrisas (the windshield), los parabrisas (the windshields)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old October 28, 2008, 05:33 PM
Tomisimo's Avatar
Tomisimo Tomisimo is offline
Davidísimo
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: North America
Posts: 5,664
Native Language: American English
Tomisimo will become famous soon enoughTomisimo will become famous soon enough
As Rusty says, there are exceptions to the general rule. But there are some other things that can clue you in as well. For example, most compound nouns-- "guardarropa", "cubrepolvo", "limpiaparabrisas" etc. are all masculine, regardless of the gender of the component words.
__________________
If you find something wrong with my Spanish, please correct it!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old October 29, 2008, 02:09 AM
Planet hopper's Avatar
Planet hopper Planet hopper is offline
Pearl
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Kuwait suburbia
Posts: 386
Native Language: Irish-Canadian English and Andalusian Spanish.
Planet hopper is on a distinguished road
A very tricky case is the word 'problema', which is masculine, maybe because feminine in spanish entails some kind of sympathy, it doesn't match trouble.
English speakers often say 'no problemo' (mistake, we say 'sin problema(s))
Another example, the word 'mar' (sea)
Is masculine if you don't live by the seaside and see it as something distant
Is feminine if you live nearby the sea. Fishermen say 'la mar'
Funky language, it is, but German and French also have weird gender assignments
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old October 31, 2008, 11:20 AM
Tomisimo's Avatar
Tomisimo Tomisimo is offline
Davidísimo
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: North America
Posts: 5,664
Native Language: American English
Tomisimo will become famous soon enoughTomisimo will become famous soon enough
Problema is one of a class of words that come from Greek and end in -ma and are masculine in Spanish:

problema
tema
esperma
esquema
lema
sistema
telegrama
__________________
If you find something wrong with my Spanish, please correct it!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old November 01, 2008, 01:37 PM
Jessica's Avatar
Jessica Jessica is offline
...
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: PA
Posts: 8,187
Native Language: English, Chinese
Jessica is on a distinguished road
thanks everyone for all this info and help!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old November 03, 2008, 07:39 AM
sosia's Avatar
sosia sosia is offline
Ankh-Morpork's citizen
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: a 55 cm del monitor
Posts: 2,984
Native Language: Spanish (Spain)
sosia has a spectacular aura aboutsosia has a spectacular aura about
Perhaps in origin was masculine
el armario para guardar la ropa --> el armario guardarropa --> el guardarropa.
It's only a guess
__________________
History, contrary to popular theories, "is" kings and dates and battles.
Small Gods Terry Pratchett
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old November 03, 2008, 08:47 AM
Planet hopper's Avatar
Planet hopper Planet hopper is offline
Pearl
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Kuwait suburbia
Posts: 386
Native Language: Irish-Canadian English and Andalusian Spanish.
Planet hopper is on a distinguished road
Same in English, one half of the compound calls the shots, not both....
Reply With Quote
Reply

 

Link to this thread
URL: 
HTML Link: 
BB Code: 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Site Rules

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
adjective noun order pogo Grammar 5 October 03, 2007 01:15 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:54 PM.

Forum powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

X