Spanish has no universal rule that tells you whether a noun is masculine or feminine, but it does have very reliable patterns. If you know the common masculine endings and categories, you can guess the gender of most new nouns correctly on the first try. This page collects those patterns and the exceptions worth memorizing.
For the matching feminine patterns, see Feminine Noun Patterns. For the most important rule-breakers, see Gender Exceptions.
Nouns Ending in -o
The single most reliable masculine marker is the ending -o. The vast majority of nouns that end in -o are masculine.
A handful of -o words are feminine, and they are so common that everyone eventually memorizes them: la mano, la foto, la moto, la radio. These are covered in detail in Gender Exceptions.
Nouns Ending in Consonants (Often Masculine)
Most nouns ending in a consonant are masculine, though this is less reliable than -o. When in doubt, assume masculine and then watch for the specific feminine consonant endings covered below and in Feminine Noun Patterns.
El árbol en el jardín es alto y fuerte.
The tree in the garden is tall and strong.
Mi reloj nuevo funciona perfectamente.
My new watch works perfectly.
Typical consonant endings that are masculine: -l, -n, -r, -s, -t, -j. Examples: el papel, el pan, el amor, el mes, el robot, el reloj.
The -or Ending
Nouns ending in -or are almost all masculine. This includes abstract nouns like el amor, el dolor, el calor, el sabor, and el olor, as well as many agent nouns like el doctor, el profesor, and el conductor.
El calor del verano y el sabor del café me despiertan.
The summer heat and the coffee's flavor wake me up.
The main exception to remember is la flor ("flower"), which is feminine despite the -or ending. A few others — la labor, la coliflor — are also feminine, but they are less common.
The -aje Ending
Nouns ending in -aje are reliably masculine. These often correspond to English words ending in -age.
El viaje fue largo, pero el paisaje valió la pena.
The trip was long, but the landscape was worth it.
Common examples: el viaje (trip), el mensaje (message), el paisaje (landscape), el garaje (garage), el equipaje (luggage), el lenguaje (language), el porcentaje (percentage), el pasaje (passage, ticket).
The -ón Ending
Nouns ending in -ón (without -ción or -sión) are usually masculine. This includes many animals, body parts, and everyday objects.
Examples: el corazón (heart), el jamón (ham), el limón (lemon), el botón (button), el camión (truck), el buzón (mailbox), el ratón (mouse).
Important contrast: the endings -ción and -sión are feminine (la canción, la televisión, la decisión). Do not confuse "ends in -ón" with "ends in -ción." See Feminine Noun Patterns for those.
El corazón del león es enorme, como el del camión.
The lion's heart is enormous, like that of the truck.
Fixed Masculine Categories
Certain whole categories of nouns are masculine regardless of their ending. These are worth memorizing as groups.
Days of the Week
All seven days of the week are masculine: el lunes, el martes, el miércoles, el jueves, el viernes, el sábado, el domingo.
El lunes trabajo, pero el sábado descanso.
On Monday I work, but on Saturday I rest.
Months of the Year
All months are masculine: enero, febrero, marzo, and so on. "Un enero frío" — "a cold January."
Julio suele ser muy caluroso en mi ciudad.
July is usually very hot in my city.
Numbers
Cardinal numbers, when used as nouns, are masculine: el uno, el dos, el cien. "Sacó un siete en el examen" — "He got a seven on the exam."
Languages
Every language name is masculine: el español, el inglés, el francés, el alemán, el chino, el portugués.
El español es la lengua de más de veinte países.
Spanish is the language of more than twenty countries.
Colors
When used as nouns, colors are masculine: el rojo, el azul, el verde, el negro. "El azul es mi color favorito" — "Blue is my favorite color."
Infinitives Used as Nouns
When a verb's infinitive is treated as a noun, it is always masculine: el comer, el vivir, el amanecer, el deber.
El correr temprano me da mucha energía.
Running early gives me a lot of energy.
For more on this, see Nominalization.
Compass Directions and Geography
Cardinal directions are masculine: el norte, el sur, el este, el oeste. Rivers, mountains, oceans, and seas are also masculine: el Amazonas, el Everest, el Pacífico, el Mediterráneo.
El Amazonas nace en el norte del Perú.
The Amazon starts in the north of Peru.
Summary Table
| Pattern / Category | Examples | Notable Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| -o ending | libro, carro, perro, teléfono | la mano, la foto, la moto, la radio |
| Most consonant endings | árbol, reloj, papel, mes | -dad, -ción, -sión → feminine |
| -or | amor, calor, dolor, sabor | la flor, la labor, la coliflor |
| -aje | viaje, mensaje, paisaje, garaje | none common |
| -ón (not -ción/-sión) | corazón, jamón, limón, botón | -ción, -sión → feminine |
| Days of the week | lunes, martes, sábado | none |
| Months | enero, febrero, diciembre | none |
| Numbers | el uno, el cien | none |
| Languages | español, inglés, chino | none |
| Colors as nouns | el rojo, el azul, el verde | none |
| Infinitives as nouns | el comer, el vivir | none |
| Compass directions | el norte, el sur, el este | none |
What Comes Next
Now that you know the masculine patterns, the mirror-image page is Feminine Noun Patterns. Together, these two pages cover the vast majority of Spanish nouns. For the stubborn exceptions — words like el día, el problema, and la mano — turn to Gender Exceptions.
Related Topics
- Grammatical GenderA1 — Every Spanish noun has a gender — masculine or feminine — which affects articles, adjectives, and pronouns
- Feminine Noun PatternsA1 — Endings and categories of nouns that are typically feminine
- Gender ExceptionsA2 — Common nouns whose gender breaks the general patterns