In Spanish, most adjectives, including nationalities, change based on the gender and number of the noun they modify.

This is especially important when referring to people, as nationalities must agree with the gender of the person being described.

Gender in Spanish Nationalities

In Spanish, every noun and adjective has a gender: masculine or feminine. This rule also applies to nationalities.

Typically, the masculine form is the default, but when talking about females, the nationality must be changed to the feminine form. Let’s explore how this works.

GENDER IN NATIONALITIES IN SPANISH
  1. Masculine Nationalities: These generally end in a consonant or in the vowel -o.
    • Example: español (Spanish), argentino (Argentinian), mexicano (Mexican).
  2. Feminine Nationalities: To convert a masculine nationality to its feminine form, you generally change the ending:
    • If the nationality ends in -o, replace it with -a:
      • mexicano (masculine) → mexicana (feminine)
      • argentino (masculine) → argentina (feminine)
    • If the nationality ends in a consonant, often you simply add -a to create the feminine form:
      • español (masculine) → española (feminine)
      • alemán (German) → alemana (feminine)

Nationalities That Don’t Change

Some nationalities are invariable, meaning they don’t change based on gender. These are often those that end in -e or certain consonants like -ense or -a:

  • costarricense (Costa Rican) – no change between masculine and feminine.
  • canadiense (Canadian) – no change.
  • estadounidense (American from the U.S.) – no change.

Pluralizing Nationalities

Just like other adjectives in Spanish, nationalities must also agree in number. Here’s how to form the plural:

  • For masculine nationalities that end in a consonant, add -es:
    • español → españoles (Spaniards)
    • alemán → alemanes (Germans)
  • For feminine nationalities ending in a consonant, add -as:
    • española → españolas (Spanish women)
    • alemana → alemanas (German women)
  • For nationalities ending in a vowel like -o or -a, the plural follows the regular rule of adding -s or -as:
    • argentino → argentinos (male or mixed group)
    • argentina → argentinas (female group)

Exceptions and Special Cases

There are a few exceptions that break the usual rules. These are worth noting to avoid common mistakes:

  1. Nationalities ending in -án, -ón, or -ín: These drop the accent mark when they become plural.
    • alemán → alemanes (Germans)
    • francés (French) → franceses
  2. Nationality for people from countries that use compound names: For example, estadounidense is used for someone from the United States, regardless of gender.

Examples in Sentences

Let’s look at a few examples to see how gender and number agreement works with nationalities in Spanish:

  • Ella es española. (She is Spanish.)
  • Ellos son mexicanos. (They are Mexican.)
  • Somos alemanes. (We are German.)
  • Las estudiantes son costarricenses. (The students are Costa Rican.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When using nationalities in Spanish, some common mistakes include:

  • Forgetting to match gender and number: Remember that adjectives, including nationalities, must always agree with the noun they describe.
  • Mispronouncing accents: Some nationalities have accent marks, such as francés (French) or alemán (German). Pay attention to these marks, as they change pronunciation and sometimes meaning.
  • Using the wrong form of the nationality for mixed groups: If a group consists of both males and females, use the masculine plural form.

Mastering the use of gender with nationalities in Spanish is an important step toward fluency.

The rules may seem tricky at first, but with practice, they become second nature. Remember to pay attention to the gender of the person you’re describing and make sure your adjectives reflect that.

Gender agreement is a cornerstone of Spanish grammar, and learning it properly will significantly improve your Spanish communication skills.

Happy learning!