Naming a profession: gender, the -ista ending and 'soy médico' with no article
A profession in Spanish is a noun that almost always has a pair: a masculine and a feminine form. The main row is -o and -a: el panadero — la panadera, el jardinero — la jardinera, el veterinario — la veterinaria. The same row for the -or words: the feminine form is made by adding -a, not by replacing: el traductor — la traductora, el escritor — la escritora, el pintor — la pintora. For example: “Mi padre es albañil…
How it works
A profession in Spanish is a noun that almost always has a pair: a masculine and a feminine form. The main row is -o and -a: el panadero — la panadera, el jardinero — la jardinera, el veterinario — la veterinaria. The same row for the -or words: the feminine form is made by adding -a, not by replacing: el traductor — la traductora, el escritor — la escritora, el pintor — la pintora.
The second row is words that do not change at all, where only the article shows the gender. That is everything in -ista (el/la electricista, el/la deportista, el/la periodista) and almost everything in -e (el/la cantante, el/la estudiante, el/la contable). Saying 'la electricista' is correct, and 'la electricisto' is not even a word: such forms simply do not exist.
The third row is the traps. El músico — a musician, but la música is both music and a woman musician. El físico — a physicist, la física — physics. El poeta ends in -a yet is masculine. And el guardia and la guardia are two different things: the person and the guard post.
And the main thing that breaks the English habit: after ser a profession goes without the article. Soy fontanero, Es contable, Mi hermana es científica — English says 'I'm a plumber'; Spanish drops the 'a'. The article returns exactly when a description is added to the profession: Es un fontanero excelente, Es una científica muy conocida. The difference is audible: without the article you name a trade; with it, you hand out a mark of quality.
Table
| row | masculine | feminine | what to remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| -o / -a | el panadero | la panadera | the most common |
| -or / -ora | el traductor | la traductora | add -a, do not swap |
| -ista | el electricista | la electricista | one word, different article |
| -e | el cantante | la cantante | the same |
| a trap | el músico | la música | also 'music' |
| a trap | el poeta | la poeta | ends in -a, yet masculine |
| after ser | soy sastre | es sastre | no article |
| with an appraisal | es un buen sastre | es una buena sastra | the article is back |
By example
- Mi padre es albañil y mi madre es contableMy father is a builder and my mother is an accountant
- Es una diseñadora muy buena, trabaja para toda EuropaShe is a very good designer, she works for all of Europe
- La electricista llega a las ocho, el fontanero despuésThe electrician comes at eight, the plumber after
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Soy médico or soy un médico?
A profession in Spanish is a noun that almost always has a pair: a masculine and a feminine form. The main row is -o and -a: el panadero — la panadera, el jardinero — la jardinera, el veterinario — la veterinaria. The same row for the -or words: the feminine form is made by adding -a, not by…
El electricista or la electricista?
The second row is words that do not change at all, where only the article shows the gender. That is everything in -ista (el/la electricista, el/la deportista, el/la periodista) and almost everything in -e (el/la cantante, el/la estudiante, el/la contable). Saying 'la electricista' is correct, and…
El músico vs la música?
The third row is the traps. El músico — a musician, but la música is both music and a woman musician. El físico — a physicist, la física — physics. El poeta ends in -a yet is masculine. And el guardia and la guardia are two different things: the person and the guard post.
Why there is no article after ser in Spanish?
And the main thing that breaks the English habit: after ser a profession goes without the article. Soy fontanero, Es contable, Mi hermana es científica — English says 'I'm a plumber'; Spanish drops the 'a'. The article returns exactly when a description is added to the profession: Es un fontanero…
How to say your profession in Spanish?
And the main thing that breaks the English habit: after ser a profession goes without the article. Soy fontanero, Es contable, Mi hermana es científica — English says 'I'm a plumber'; Spanish drops the 'a'. The article returns exactly when a description is added to the profession: Es un fontanero…
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“Mi padre es albañil y mi madre es contable” — My father is a builder and my mother is an accountant. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.