Spanish Examples of Nouns: Learn These 12 Types

How many examples of nouns in Spanish can you think of right now? Probably a lot, if you’ve been studying Spanish for a while!

And now, do you know what type of nouns they are? Would you be able to classify them? 

Today, I’ll show you twelve types of sustantivos in Spanish and I’ll add a lot of examples of nouns.

Ready? Let’s get started.

What are Nouns in Spanish?

I’m sure by now you know that nouns—called sustantivos in Spanish—name people, places, or actions. If you’d like more of a refresher on this topic, check out The 8 Parts of Speech.

Usually, when you start learning a language as a baby or later on studying a foreign one, nouns are the first words to know.

Later on, you learn that nouns name a big group of words that can be classified separately. 

In Spanish, we can talk about twelve different types, and I put them below in contrasting pairs, creating six groups to make all this information easier to follow.

1. Concrete Nouns vs. Abstract Nouns

2. Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns

3. Individual Nouns vs. Collective Nouns

4. Countable Nouns vs. Uncountable Nouns

5. Simple Nouns vs. Compound Nouns

6. Animate Nouns vs. Inanimate Nouns

Let’s see all these twelve types in detail with many examples of nouns to add to your collection.

1. Concrete Nouns vs. Abstract Nouns

These are two principal types of nouns in Spanish: los sustantivos concretos and los sustantivos abstractos. 

Concrete Nouns are the nouns we can touch, see, taste, smell or hear. 

For example: el pájaro (bird), el papá (dad), la sopa (soup), el humo (smoke), la canción (song), la ciruela (plum), Juan. You can perceive all of them with at least one of your senses.

Abstract nouns, on the other hand, name things that do not possess material existence and we cannot perceive them with our five senses. In this group, you’ll find ideas, emotions, and feelings: el pavor (dread), la exaltación (exaltation), la tristeza (sadness).

Check this table to see more examples of nouns from this group.

Concrete Nouns vs. Abstract Nouns Chart

CONCRETE NOUNS	ABSTRACT NOUNS
el ático – attic	el cálculo – calculation
el barandal – guardrail	la compasión – compassion
la bocina – speaker, horn	la desesperación – despair
la catedral – cathedral	la falsedad – falsehood
la chimenea – fireplace	la fealdad – ugliness
la cima – peak	la fraternidad – fraternity
el grifo – faucet	el infierno – hell
la jarra – pitcher	el olvido – oblivion
la luz – light	la perseverancia – perseverance
el plátano – banana	la prudencia – prudence

2. Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns

Los sustantivos comunes and los sustantivos propios form another group.

Common Nouns refer to people, places, and things in general without mentioning their individual names. For example el niño (child), la ciudad (city), el continente (continent), el carro (car).

If you say los carros, you’re not specifying what cars you have in mind (Mercedes, Porsche, Renault), it could be any car, and it would fit the group los carros. 

That said, proper nouns are the nouns that give individual names to people and objects: Paola, Pepe, Perú, Asia, Toyota, etc. You need to remember that proper nouns in Spanish must be written with a capital letter at the beginning.

Take a look at this table to see more examples of nouns from this group.

Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns Chart

COMMON NOUNS	PROPER NOUNS
la agujeta – shoelace	Buenos Aires
la angustia – anguish	Casiopea – Cassiopea
el candado – padlock	Guatemala
el cohete – rocket	Madrid
la estrella – star	El Marte – Mars
el granizo – hail	El Nilo – The Nile
el martillo – hammer	La Osa Mayor – Ursa Major
la muela – back tooth	El País
la nube – cloud	Seat Ibiza
el templo – temple	El Sol – The Sun

3. Individual Nouns vs. Collective Nouns

Individual Nouns–los sustantivos individuales– refer to unique objects that can be part of a category, to a single entity: llave (key), fútbol (soccer), atún (tuna), televisor (television). Collective nouns–los sustantivos colectivos–name a group made of multiple entities.

Let’s see more examples of nouns from this group.

Individual Nouns vs. Collective Nouns Chart

INDIVIDUAL NOUNS	COLLECTIVE NOUNS
el aeropuerto – airport	la alameda (conjunto de álamos) – alameda (group of poplars)
el cerebro – brain	la arboleda (conjunto de árboles) – arboleda (group of trees)
la cuchara – spoon	la cámara (grupo de senadores o diputados) – chamber (group of senators or deputies)
la lagartija – lizard	el cementerio (conjunto de tumbas) – cemetery (set of graves)
la libreta – notebook	el cónclave (grupo de cardenales) – conclave (group of cardinals)
la nave – ship	la confederación ( conjunto de estados) – confederation (group of states)
la oveja – sheep	la constelación (conjunto de estrellas) – constellation (group of stars)
la pezuña – hoof	la despensa (grupo de alimentos) – pantry (set of food)
el ratón – mouse	el ejército (grupo de soldados) – army (group of soldiers)
el riñon – kidney	el formulario (grupo de fórmulas) – form (group of formulas)

4. Countable Nouns vs. Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns–los sustantivos contables–are all the nouns that you can count or measure. Check it, can you say for example un gato, dos gatos, tres gatos (one cat, two cats, three cats)? Yes, then, it’s countable. 

Uncountable nouns–los sustantivos no contables– are the nouns that you can’t count or measure. Yes, it’s that simple. In this group, you’ll find liquids (leche/milk, agua/water), powders and spices (harina/flour, sal/salt), abstract nouns (felicidad/happiness), feelings and sensations (miedo/fear), and some type of food (queso/cheese).

Here are more examples of nouns from this group.

Countable Nouns vs. Uncountable Nouns Chart

COUNTABLE NOUNS	UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
la calle – street	el aceite – oil
el conejo – rabbit	la alegría – joy
la familia – family	el ardor – burning
el globo – balloon	la bondad – kindness
el kilo – kilo	el brillo – glow
la lágrima – tear	el coraje – courage
la molécula – molecule	la dicha – bliss
la planta – plant	el té – tea
el plato – plate	la temperatura – temperature
la silla – chair	el viento – wind

5. Simple Nouns vs. Compound Nouns

This group is even simpler to grasp than the previous one. Los sustantivos simples are the ones that are formed with one word only, like chamarra (jacket), vaso (glass), barba (beard). 

Los sustantivos Compuestos, are made of two or more words, for example el abrelatas (abrir + latas) – can opener.

Do you want to see more examples of nouns from this group?

Simple Nouns vs. Compound Nouns Chart

SIMPLE NOUNS	COMPOUND NOUNS
la águila – eagle	albiceleste – white and blue
el anzuelo – hook	el arcoiris – rainbow
la choza – hut	el cortafuegos – firewall
la cuna – cradle	el cuentagotas – dropper
las gafas – glasses	el / la guardameta – goalkeeper
la granja – farm	el paraguas – umbrella
el timón -rudder	el pararrayos – lightning rod
el velero -sailboat	pelirrojo – redhead
la brisa – breeze	el portarretratos – picture frame
el compás – compass	el sacapuntas – pencil sharpener

6. Animate Nouns vs. Inanimate Nouns

You can also classify nouns according to the fact if they do or don’t have life. Animate nouns—los sustantivos animados—refer to all living things. It means that all people and animals will belong to this group but also cartoon characters: caballo (horse), mujer (woman), la hada de los dientes (tooth fairy).

Inanimate nouns—los sustantivos inanimados—are all the things that lack life, for example la piedra (stone), el árbol (tree).

Check this table to see more examples of nouns from this group.

Animate Nouns vs. Inanimate Nouns Chart

ANIMATE NOUNS	INANIMATE NOUNS
el centauro – centaur	la alfombra – carpet
el escarabajo – beetle	el colchón – mattress
el esposo – husband	la fogata – campfire
el gusano – worm	la galleta – cookie
la luciérnaga – firefly	la hacha – the axe
la madrina – godmother	el hilo – yarn
la oveja – sheep	las medias – socks
el / la periodista – journalist	el pizarrón– blackboard
el pulpo – octopus	el serrucho – saw
el sobrino – nephew	el sótano – cellar

Practice Time

I know it was a lot to digest in one setting but you can be proud of yourself. You are now an expert on sustantivos and can give plenty of examples of nouns in Spanish.

If you want to take your newly acquired knowledge to the next level, you must practice. The best way is obviously with another person that can spot and correct your mistakes and challenge you to go further and further. 

To strengthen your skills, you can sign up for a free class with one of our friendly and professional, Spanish-speaking native teachers. Take your examples of nouns to your class and practice them in a one-to-one conversation.

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