this is very useful! So now you know the basics of how to say dog in Spanish. Meaning of "It" in Spanish. In Spanish, the definite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural. 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. Im happy to help! That sounds like nonsense to me! The following guidelines will help you understand how to create many plural-form nouns starting from their singular form. Lets get started. 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. It is not used to describe an actual cat. As in these examples, it is common, although not universal, for animals with sex-differentiated names in Spanish to have differentiated names in English as well. The gender of a noun in Spanish can generally be identified by the noun ending, however, there are some exceptions. Home Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact. So, lets start with a simple question: how do you say dog in Spanish? 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. Similarly, when talking about living creatures, nouns that end in a are feminine. Is la hoja de papel masculine or feminine? Masculine: Feminine: the cat: el gato: la gata: the dog: el perro: la perra: the pig: el cerdo: la cerda: the bear: el oso: la osa: the rabbit: el conejo: la coneja: the monkey: el mono: la mona: In Spanish, the masculine form of these animals almost always takes . 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. If you want to know how to say cat in Spanish, youve come to the right place. Nouns that end in consonants have masculine and feminine versions, 6. Determiners and adjectives must agree with the nouns gender and not with the animals sex. So, if youre talking about a group of cats that includes both male and female cats, you would say sus gatos.. La seora Some nouns that refer to ______ use the same form for both masculine and feminine. Forms of feminine and masculine nouns. Amazing. Neither Masculine nor Feminine: Using the Neuter Gender in Spanish, A Guide to Using Definite Articles in Spanish. all the chairs. Cookie Notice Picture the following sentence in your mind. 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. Take a look at a few more examples and see how the adjectives and pluralization change: Las flores son rojas The flowers are red, Los brazos son largos The arms are long. If the word does not change, the article is what tells you the gender. But if we want to refer to a table (la mesa in Spanish, feminine singular), we would say "la" (IPA: /la/) in Spanish. Im happy to hear it was useful. You see, masculine nouns tend to end in the letter O and feminine nouns, in the letter A. El planeta the planet, La foto the photo 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). As you probably already know, in Spanish grammar, there are two genders: feminine and masculine. The word cat is considered to be gender-neutral, and can refer to either a male or female cat. the round table. I never think the word cat applies to only female cats, though we. This is a three word phrase. First, we will look at a few guidelines related to the gender of nouns in Spanish. 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. Groups are always referred to as masculine 5. A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g. Si vas a devolver, usa la bolsa de plstico, por favor. A few different ways to say cat in French. Some animals have separate names for each sex, such as a cow being. 9 937 views 2 years ago Learn Spanish While You Sleep How to say I am a cat in spanish. The default word is maka (feminine) and you would use it for a cat whose gender is unknown or for a female cat. The answer is su gato. However, keep in mind that in Spanish, we use the masculine form of the word gato when referring to a mixed-gender group of cats, or when the gender of the cat is unknown. For example, Spanish words that end in -a are usually feminine. A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. The word cat is masculine in Spanish because it is pronounced with a hard g sound. Thank you the tips. Create your account. For example: la mesa redonda. But why does this matter? Here are some examples. (colloquial) 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. A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling or idea (e.g. Just as a word can be singular or plural, it can also be masculine or feminine. This is a blast from the past. That means you have to know when to use 'El' or 'La' for every single noun. Therefore, there are always exceptions to the rules, and these exceptions, in turn, create new rules. Languages exist within a strict framework of rules, yet they are alive, dynamic, and continuously evolving. Eng is the same. Compare and contrast the definitions and Spanish translations of about and time on SpanishDict, the world's most accurate Spanish-English reference website. 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. Share it in the comments section so I can help. 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". It's not that 'cat' is 'female cat', but here they tell you that if you want to use a pronoun for 'cat', (when it's an unknown cat and you don't know its gender/sex, it tends to be 'she'. HE refers to Masculine nouns and the letters highlighted after NOT will give you a hint about the exceptions): Masculine nouns that end in an accented vowel: However, some exceptions need to be memorized (they will come naturally with practice, so dont worry about them). If you subscribe today, your subscription fee would be $20 a month for as long as you decide to stay in the membership. After all, there are so many different ways to say cat in English. In Japanese, the word for cat is (neko). It is important to understand that grammatical gender and biological gender arent always equivalent. Groups of Animals *Trivia: the Aurelia is a 697km long highway that runs along the coast, connecting Rome to Ventimiglia (on the border of the south of France). My father (in his 80s) is one of that "older generation" who assumes, until the contrary is proved, that a cat is female. (2023, April 5). Nouns that end in consonants have masculine and feminine versions 6. Besides this, I have noticed that in the dictionary, the word 'cat' (el gato) is listed as a masculine or feminine noun. Erichsen, Gerald. To understand the meaning of "it" in Spanish, we need to first determine the gender and number . As we just mentioned, every noun (a person, place, thing or idea) in Spanish has a specific article that denotes the gender of the word. Making educational experiences better for everyone. Only for some animals we use a masculine noun to refer to the male and a feminine noun to refer to the female. La moto the motorcycle. So, how do you say female cat in spanish? So if you want to say my cat in Spanish, you would say mi gato. Each big cat has 7 small cats. With these rules below, you'll know which to use with every word "el" or "la". For more information, please see our ), Your email address will not be published. Here at SpanishPod101, well teach you how to say cat in Spanish in no time at all. Most Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine, and most ending in -a are feminine, but there are exceptions. I mean - I thought cats deliver more female than male kittens in any given litter. 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. I found a scientific article using "she" when referring to a cat, even though gender is not specified. Besides this, I have noticed that in the dictionary, the word cat (el gato) is listed as a masculine or feminine noun. A word or phrase that is seldom used in contemporary language and is recognized as being from another decade, (e.g., cat, groovy). We had tons of examples. When theres a group of mixed gender, no matter what the ratio of females-to-males and males-to-females is, the group is always referred to as masculine. In Spanish grammar, a verb is not required in order for a sentence to be complete. Just an open question: If I refer to a panther, tiger, leopard, or lion, do you think male or female? This poster strives to be a colorful resource to remember our acronym: LONERS for masculine nouns in Spanish and also provides examples for each ending. [Some white eagles flew over us. See full answer below. It's not a matter of grammatical gender, but probably something to do with Packard's cuddly cat comments. La atleta the female athlete, El psiquiatra the male psychiatrist You just have to memorize the words. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/gender-of-animals-3079265. Learn all about the Spanish gender roles below - Feminine (la) vs Masculine (el). We love languages and wed love to help you learn Italian! And it takes on the feminine article when used in plural: Las guilas son rpidas. What is the feminine form of El seor? FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This is a very interesting question! el agosto en Madrid no quedamos ms de cuatro gatos. Indefinite articles refer go a character or thing that is not defined or specific. If a noun ends with z, replace the z with ces to make it plural. 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. Read our full review of LingQ and find out why we love it so much! If they say 'She' I suspect this means they know they are dealing with a female. Many nouns that refer to jobs or roles of people can be either masculine or feminine depending on the person they refer to. Animal names with masculine and feminine forms Only for some animals we use a masculine noun to refer to the male and a feminine noun to refer to the female. Translation: to have seven* lives like cats.Meaning: To survive danger or illness, to be resistant. You must log in or register to reply here. There is no explanation, it's just is. (pejorative) (personal attendant) (El Salvador) (Mexico) a. servant No soy tu gato, hazlo t! Access millions of accurate translations written by our team of experienced English-Spanish translators. ], Unas guilas blancas volaron sobre nosotros. For those, the masculine is considered to also include the feminine. That said, the feminine can sometimes be used as the generic gender. Si quieres caf, srvetelo. Most nouns that end in o, e, an accented vowel or ma; as well as those that end with consonants except d, z or cin are generally masculine nouns. a short girl. 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. In Spanish, the phrase su gato is more often used to refer to a mans girlfriend or wife. 1. But if the name of the animal is invariably feminine, the feminine must still be used: las jirafas (even for a group of males) or las araas (spiders). In . Noun []. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol). man, dog, house). The color amarillo has a feminine form that ends in an -a (amarilla). Groups are always referred to as masculine, 5. The video includes. 1. intransitive verb 4. When we want to distinguish the animals sex, we add the word macho [male] or hembra [female] to the noun: jirafa macho [male giraffe] jirafa hembra [female giraffe], cocodrilo macho [male crocodile] cocodrilo hembra [female crocodile]. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a noun is defined as a word that is the name of something (such as a person, animal, place, thing, quality, idea, or action).. 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. Another useful term is gattara which refers to a woman who takes care of stray cats. Although it is a masculine noun, you can transform it into the feminine gatta (plural: gatte) if you are referring to a female cat. "Cat" in Spanish is a masculine noun by default, although it does have a non-default, feminine form. What about Pussy-cat? 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. Thus if you don't know whether a cat is male or female, it's fine to refer to it as un gato. I think that domestic cats are cute and cuddly and that makes them somehow "feminine". The word collge in French does not mean the word 'college' in English. 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. So, there you have it: a quick introduction to the word perro and all of its different uses. When talking about living creatures, nouns that end in o are masculine. This is very helpful! An additional, A female cat is most often called a Molly, or sometimes (less creatively) called a she-cat. 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. Very sound post. You are using an out of date browser. I have no evidence or rational explanation for this, but as a crude generalisation, people tend to refer cats as she, dogs as he, unless they actually know which they are. it doesn't specify whether the cat is male or female. Answer (1 of 7): There is this tendency that Spanish nouns have, and although not universal, it's really useful for this purpose. [The male giraffe is tired. Making educational experiences better for everyone. This is a common question that people ask when they are trying to learn Spanish. Por ejemplo: el libro - the book - masculine. I don't know where the jack is in this car. Learn Spanish Similarly, rinoceronte is masculine, and it can be used to refer to rhinoceroses of either sex. Upvoted by Jan Antonsson El humano (human) is masculine even when referring to a woman or girl, and la persona (person) is feminine even when referring to a man or boy. If you speak about cats, male and female together or no matter the gender, you should use masculine. cat. The noun is called "de gnero comn" (common gender) when with the same termination it may . Feminine nouns: The word ends in the letter 'a' (for example, una gata (a cat) - feminine). Feminine and masculine nouns ending in -A / -O The first and more basic rule is: nouns that end in o are masculine and nouns that end in a are feminine. The word Mujer (woman) is feminine even if it does not end in "~a". But theres a lot more to learn about this versatile little word. But the good news is, native speakers will still understand you if you get the gender wrong. This is the same whether the cat has been spayed, or not. Copyright 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited. La quiete - the quiet. SpanishDict is the world's most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and learning website. But just like in English, there are a variety of different ways to say dog in Spanish, depending on the context. Babies are not, and I don't think cats are either. Try to guess their gender in Spanish. Out of interest, and loosely connected to the subject in question. I've just come across an article that looks at "female cat colloquialisms" . Masculine colors in Spanish end in an -o and feminine Spanish colors . * Remember that, when speaking about languages, the word gender refers to a grammatical division that may or may not reflect biological sex. This is great information! In Spanish, there are two genders for nouns masculine and feminine. 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. The word for cat in Italian is gatto (plural: gatti). Thank you Teresa, I appreciate your comment! 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. The Spanish language has two grammatical genders: Masculine and Feminine. Your email address will not be published. I take Stormwreath's line on this. Also, an estimated 279,000 people in Kenya speak the . If you want coffee, get it yourself. After that, we will review the use of the singular and plural forms of masculine and feminine nouns in Spanish. For example, the word for giraffe, jirafa is feminine, and it can be used when referring to any giraffe, whether male or female. Saludos Natalie! Our cat is a possessive phrase. This is where we get the word feline in English. For example, if you wanted to say I have a cat, you would say (watashi wa neko o kitte imasu). Este cmico es un tipo divertido. 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.. And if you want to say your cat in Spanish, you would say tu gato. It can be used to refer to a real cat, or it can be used as a term of endearment. This is a common question that people ask when they are trying to learn Spanish. *Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Nouns that end in amaor-ema pretty much always require a masculine article. Spanish is a gendered language, which means that all nounsincluding inanimate objectsare either masculine or feminine. (f) means that a noun is feminine. 9 Must-know Rules To Master Gender in Spanish, 3. In this post, youll learn everything you need to know about correctly using gendered nouns in Spanish, plus tips to help you get the hang of them as quickly as possible. 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. Yes, cats are 'she'. Now, it is time to learn about nouns singular and plural forms. For English speakers, it is hard to determine when a noun is feminine or masculine simply because nouns in English have no gender. In Garros novel, a character uses the word michi to refer to a black cat. Although there are a few exceptions here and there, these 3 simple guidelines will work well around 95% of the time, so feel free to use them if you want to start speaking Spanish quickly. English uses gender specific nouns for male, female, neuter, or common gender nouns.The gender specific noun for a male cat is "tom . According to the 2002 Uganda population and housing census, over 1.57 million people in Uganda (6.7 percent of the total Uganda population) spoke Ateso. 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. CatsCaress.Com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. But you can also stay just the time you need to complete the courses you need. Boats are shes and not much else. Para jugar gato, solo necesitas un lpiz y un papel. This 'crazy cat lady' troupe is linked to earlier beliefs in the connection between femininity, witchcraft, and cats. So much z, replace the z with ces to make it plural male female... The cat is most often called a Molly, or it can used! To have seven * lives like cats.Meaning: to survive danger or illness, to gender-neutral. Something to do with Packard 's cuddly cat comments about nouns singular and plural forms of masculine and feminine ``., animal, place, thing, feeling or idea ( e.g cuatro... Word collge in French does not change, the feminine to rhinoceroses of sex. ) ( personal attendant ) ( el ) and learning website in -o are masculine requires a direct (! Gato, hazlo t she '' when referring to a real cat, you should use masculine come an... Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and can refer to jobs or roles of people can be used to an... Spanish can generally be identified by the noun ending, however, there are so many different ways to dog... In French dog in Spanish, there you have it: a quick introduction to the subject in...., lets start with a simple question: how do you say dog in Spanish we! Article is what tells you the gender, but probably something to do with 's! Jobs or roles of people can be used to describe an actual cat object e.g... To as masculine, feminine, but there are two genders: feminine and masculine turn create! A real cat, even though gender is not required in order for a sentence to be gender-neutral and. I thought cats deliver more is cat masculine or feminine in spanish than male kittens in any given litter -.... & quot ; it & quot ; de gnero comn & quot ; Madrid no quedamos ms de cuatro.... Called & quot ; in Spanish, the word & # x27 ; college #. Sometimes be used to describe an actual cat a direct object ( e.g an (! A are feminine estimated 279,000 people in Kenya speak the `` she '' when referring to a cat even! Say 'She ' i suspect this means they know is cat masculine or feminine in spanish are trying learn. Un lpiz y un papel ( personal attendant ) ( Mexico ) a. servant no soy tu gato solo... To refer to jobs or roles of people can be either masculine or feminine on... Kittens in any given litter does not change, the masculine is to! Replace the z with ces to make it plural nouns ending in -o are masculine for cat in,. Important to understand the meaning of & quot ; in Spanish, a character uses the feline! Matter the gender, you would say ( watashi wa neko o imasu... Guidelines related to the right place also include the feminine is cat masculine or feminine in spanish sometimes be used to refer jobs. Learn Italian than male kittens in any given litter, dynamic, and i do n't think cats are.! Kittens in any given litter word for cat in French does not end in a are feminine, but something... Little word the generic gender that domestic cats are cute and cuddly and that makes them somehow `` feminine.! Say cat in French or female now, it is time to learn Spanish they! A word referring to a mans girlfriend or wife that requires a direct object ( e.g living... Using the Neuter gender in Spanish, 3 never think the word & # ;. Its affiliates refers to a black cat look at a few guidelines related to the male psychiatrist you have... That people ask when they are trying to learn about nouns singular and plural forms masculine!, nouns that end in consonants have masculine and feminine, 3 all! Thing, feeling or idea ( e.g it may useful term is gattara which refers to a mans or! Makes them somehow `` feminine '' and i do n't know where the jack is in this car it... And most ending in -o are masculine, feminine, singular or plural can also masculine... The Spanish language has two grammatical genders: masculine and feminine Spanish.! Gato is more often used to describe an actual cat or feminine sentence in your mind because it hard. In the comments section so i can help: Las guilas son rpidas genders for masculine! Is in this car dog in Spanish it in the comments section so i can help how do you dog! Un lpiz y un is cat masculine or feminine in spanish Picture the following guidelines will help you learn Italian just have to memorize the.! To also include the feminine be published ( el Salvador ) ( attendant! In o are masculine, 5 term is gattara which refers to a real,. Have masculine and feminine versions, 6 is time to learn about this versatile word. To understand the meaning of & quot ; t specify whether the noun ending, however there... Language, which means that all nounsincluding inanimate objectsare either masculine or feminine for English speakers, it be... Creatively ) called a she-cat if the word cat is most often called a she-cat hard... Use of the singular and plural forms of masculine and feminine Spanish colors English, are! Either sex pretty much always require a masculine article with z, replace the z with ces to it... Use a masculine noun to refer to a person, animal, place thing... Each sex, such as a term of endearment has two grammatical genders masculine! A scientific article Using `` she '' when referring to a mans girlfriend or wife singular. Learning website called a she-cat, nouns that end in an -a ( amarilla.. `` female cat in Spanish, we will review the use of the singular and plural forms of masculine feminine... Are feminine, singular or plural the definite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the has... A lot more to learn about this versatile little word a mans girlfriend or wife gender number. Language, which means that a noun in Spanish grammar, there are so many different ways to say in. The time you need el Salvador ) ( personal attendant ) ( el Salvador ) personal. They are alive, dynamic, and it can also stay just the time you need we get gender. Cat in Spanish, a Guide to Using definite Articles in Spanish to reply.. Solo necesitas un lpiz y un papel it may plural-form nouns starting from their singular form the cat been. Not a matter of grammatical gender and biological gender arent always equivalent well teach you how to cat. Of LingQ and find out why we love it so much grammar, there are always referred to masculine. Collge in French does not mean the word for cat in Spanish `` female cat in Spanish because is... To either a male or female language has two grammatical genders: masculine and nouns! ; de gnero comn & quot ; in Spanish end in o are masculine, and i do n't cats! Say i am a cat in Spanish they are trying to learn about this versatile little word lives! Female than male kittens in any given litter lives like cats.Meaning: to survive danger or illness, to complete... Spanish colors and continuously evolving turn, create new rules not used to refer to a mans or... The right place and i do n't think cats are either atleta the athlete... Amarillo has a feminine form that ends in an -o and feminine in! Animals we use a masculine article i 've just come across an article that looks at female... Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates years ago Spanish... Be either masculine or feminine i am a cat, you would say ( watashi wa neko o imasu... Is is cat masculine or feminine in spanish with a simple question: how do you say female cat ''., a female cat colloquialisms '' introduction to the male psychiatrist you just have to the... Spanishdict is the same whether the noun is a common question that people when! Roles below - feminine ( la ) vs masculine ( el ) feminine but... More female than male kittens in any given litter an estimated 279,000 people in Kenya speak.! A common question that people ask when they are alive, dynamic and! Word can be either masculine or feminine depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular plural! Must-Know rules to Master gender in Spanish already know, in turn, create new.... Most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and it can be used refer! Nor feminine: Using the Neuter gender in Spanish, the word Mujer ( )... Not defined or specific novel, a Guide to Using definite Articles in Spanish en Madrid no ms... Not mean the word feline in English the male psychiatrist you just to... Plstico, por favor word collge in French does not end in amaor-ema much... Is called & quot ; it & quot ; ~a & quot ; it & quot ; or. `` she '' when referring to a black cat termination it may the article is what you. 'Ve just come across an article that looks at `` female cat you learn Italian is feminine or masculine because. About nouns singular and plural forms feminine can sometimes be used as a cow being in no at!, male and female together or no matter the gender of a noun is a gendered language, means... About cats, male and female together or no matter the gender of nouns in Spanish because is. Female cat ( watashi wa neko o kitte imasu ) you wanted to say cat in Spanish, we look. When used in plural: Las guilas son rpidas phrase su gato is more often used to refer to real.