Masculine or feminine?
Thursday, January 13, 2022 @ 3:14 AM
Nouns with different meanings depending on their gender.
We’ve all heard of false friends, words in Spanish that look like English words, but which have a completely different meaning, eg embarazada = pregnant, constipado = suffering with a cold. However, there are a number of Spanish nouns which have a different meaning depending on whether they have the definite article el or la, ie whether they are masculine or feminine.
Here are 30 in alphabetical order:
|
el calavera
|
rotter, cad; reveller
|
la calavera
|
skull
|
|
el cámara
|
cameraman
|
la cámara
|
camera; chamber
|
|
el canguro
|
kangaroo
|
la cangura
|
female babysitter
|
|
el capital
|
capital (money)
|
la capital
|
capital city
|
|
el caza
|
fighter plane
|
la caza
|
hunting
|
|
el clave
|
harpsichord
|
la clave
|
code; clef (music)
|
|
el cólera
|
cholera
|
la cólera
|
anger, rage
|
|
el corte
|
cut
|
la corte
|
court (royal); entourage
|
|
el crisma
|
christmas card
|
la crisma
|
chrism (rel); nut (head)
|
|
el cura
|
priest
|
la cura
|
cure
|
|
el defensa
|
defender
|
la defensa
|
defence
|
|
el editorial
|
editorial
|
la editorial
|
publishing company
|
|
el espada
|
matador
|
la espada
|
sword
|
|
el final
|
end; finale
|
la final
|
the final (sport)
|
|
el frente
|
front
|
la frente
|
forehead
|
|
el gallina
|
(male) coward
|
la gallina
|
hen
|
|
el guardia
|
policeman, guardsman
|
la guardia
|
guard, police
|
|
el lila
|
llac (colour); twit, wimp
|
la lila
|
lilac (flower)
|
|
el mariquita
|
poof (homosexual)
|
la mariquita
|
ladybird
|
|
el mayor
|
male adult
|
la mayor
|
female adult
|
|
el orden
|
order (in a series)
|
la orden
|
order (command)
|
|
el papa
|
the Pope
|
la papa
|
potato
|
|
el parte
|
report
|
la parte
|
part
|
|
el pelota
|
creep
|
la pelota
|
ball
|
|
el pez
|
fish (living)
|
la pez
|
tar
|
|
el policía
|
policeman
|
la policía
|
the police
|
|
el radio
|
radius
|
la radio
|
radio
|
|
el té
|
tea
|
la te
|
T (the letter)
|
|
el veleta
|
fickle person
|
la veleta
|
weathervane
|
|
el vocal
|
member; director; chairman
|
la vocal
|
vowel
|
The Spanish language is complicated, yet fascinating, isn't it?
Hasta luego.
Don Pablo
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