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April 15, 2021 by Olga Put Spanish Grammar 0 comments

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.

examples of nouns

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 NOUNSABSTRACT NOUNS
el ático – atticel cálculo – calculation
el barandal – guardrailla compasión – compassion
la bocina – speaker, hornla desesperación – despair
la catedral – cathedralla falsedad – falsehood
la chimenea – fireplacela fealdad – ugliness
la cima – peakla fraternidad – fraternity
el grifo – faucetel infierno – hell
la jarra – pitcherel olvido – oblivion
la luz – lightla perseverancia – perseverance
el plátano – bananala 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 NOUNSPROPER NOUNS
la agujeta – shoelaceBuenos Aires
la angustia – anguishCasiopea – Cassiopea
el candado – padlockGuatemala
el cohete – rocketMadrid
la estrella – starEl Marte – Mars
el granizo – hailEl Nilo – The Nile
el martillo – hammerLa Osa Mayor – Ursa Major
la muela – back toothEl País
la nube – cloudSeat Ibiza 
el templo – templeEl 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 NOUNSCOLLECTIVE NOUNS
el aeropuerto – airportla alameda (conjunto de álamos) – alameda (group of poplars)
el cerebro – brainla arboleda (conjunto de árboles) – arboleda (group of trees)
la cuchara – spoonla cámara (grupo de senadores o diputados) – chamber (group of senators or deputies)
la lagartija – lizardel cementerio (conjunto de tumbas) – cemetery (set of graves)
la libreta – notebookel cónclave (grupo de cardenales) – conclave (group of cardinals)
la nave – shipla confederación ( conjunto de estados) – confederation (group of states)
la oveja – sheepla constelación (conjunto de estrellas) – constellation (group of stars)
la pezuña – hoofla despensa (grupo de alimentos) – pantry (set of food)
el ratón – mouseel ejército (grupo de soldados) – army (group of soldiers)
el riñon – kidneyel 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 NOUNSUNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
la calle – streetel aceite – oil
el conejo – rabbitla alegría – joy
la familia – familyel ardor – burning
el globo – balloonla bondad – kindness
el kilo – kiloel brillo – glow
la lágrima – tearel coraje – courage
la molécula – moleculela dicha – bliss
la planta – plantel té – tea
el plato – platela temperatura – temperature
la silla – chairel 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 NOUNSCOMPOUND NOUNS
la águila – eaglealbiceleste – white and blue 
el anzuelo – hookel arcoiris – rainbow
la choza – hutel cortafuegos – firewall
la cuna – cradleel cuentagotas – dropper
las gafas – glassesel / la guardameta – goalkeeper
la granja – farmel paraguas – umbrella
el timón -rudderel pararrayos – lightning rod
el velero -sailboatpelirrojo – redhead
la brisa – breezeel portarretratos – picture frame
el compás – compassel 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 NOUNSINANIMATE NOUNS
el centauro – centaurla alfombra – carpet
el escarabajo – beetleel colchón – mattress
el esposo – husbandla fogata – campfire
el gusano – wormla galleta – cookie
la luciérnaga – fireflyla hacha – the axe
la madrina – godmotherel hilo – yarn
la oveja – sheeplas medias – socks
el / la periodista – journalistel pizarrón– blackboard
el pulpo – octopusel serrucho – saw
el sobrino – nephewel 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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Olga Put
Olga Put
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
I'm a Spanish philologist, teacher, and freelance writer with a Master's degree in Humanities from Madrid. I speak Polish, Spanish, and English fluently, and want to get better in Portuguese and German. A lover of literature, and Mexican spicy cuisine, I've lived in Poland, Spain, and Mexico and I'm currently living and teaching in Madeira, Portugal.
Olga Put
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