Spanish · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 4
Soy estudianteI'm a student
Here comes Spanish's big challenge for an English speaker: GENDER. Every noun is masculine or feminine, and the article changes with it — el/un for masculine, la/una for feminine. The ending gives hints (-o is usually masculine, -a feminine), but there are exceptions, so learn each word WITH its article. And a surprising detail: after ser, professions take NO article — Soy estudiante, not "soy un estudiante". Mike, of course, adds the extra "un".
Dialogue
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¿Y tú, Lucía?— And you, Lucía?
- CarlosSoy estudiante. ¿Y tú, Lucía?I'm a student. And you, Lucía?
- LucíaSoy estudiante. Ella es profesora.I'm a student. She is a teacher.
- Carlos¿Es médica?Is she a doctor?
- LucíaNo, es profesora. Él es médico.No, she's a teacher. He is a doctor.
Dialogue
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Mike y el "un" de más— Mike and the Extra "un"
- CarlosMike, ¿qué eres?Mike, what are you?
- MikeSoy un estudiante.I'm "a" student. (wrong: no article with a profession after ser)
- LucíaMike, "Soy estudiante".Mike, "Soy estudiante". (drop the un — professions take no article here)
- Mike¡Ah! Soy estudiante. Gracias, Lucía.Ah! I'm a student. Thanks, Lucía.
Vocabulary
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- estudiante
nounstudent
- profesor/a
nounteacher
- médico/a
noundoctor
- trabajo (m)
nounjob, work
- hombre (m)
nounman
- mujer (f)
nounwoman
- él
pronounhe
- ella
pronounshe
- un
art.a, an (m)
- una
art.a, an (f)
- el / la
art.the (m / f)
Grammar
i
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Gender and the articles
Explanation
In Spanish EVERY noun has a gender: masculine or feminine — not just people, things too. The article agrees with it: el/un for masculine, la/una for feminine. The ending usually warns you: -o is normally masculine (el trabajo, un médico), -a normally feminine (la persona, una amiga). But there are exceptions (el día, la mano, la mujer), so the best habit is to learn each word TOGETHER with its article: not "casa" but "la casa".
Examples
- el trabajo, un médico (masculino)the job, a doctor (masculine)
- la persona, una amiga (femenino)the person, a friend (feminine)
- Es un hombre. Es una mujer.He is a man. She is a woman.
- la mujer (excepción: -er, pero femenino)la mujer (exception: ends -er, yet feminine)
Grammar
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Professions take no article
Explanation
In English you say "I am A student". In Spanish, after ser, the profession goes WITHOUT an article: Soy estudiante, Es médico, Eres profesora. No "un/una" in front. (The article returns only if you add a description: "Es un buen médico" — but that comes later.) It is one of the most typical English-speaker errors: adding the extra "un" by calque from English. Drop the article and it sounds natural.
Examples
- Soy estudiante. (no "soy un estudiante")I'm a student. (not "soy un estudiante")
- Es médico. Es profesora.He is a doctor. She is a teacher.
- ¿Eres profesora? — No, soy estudiante.Are you a teacher? — No, I'm a student.
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