Lesson 1:9 la sofa

Question

Another gender question. Sofá ends in a, so is feminine. Yet it is el sofá. Is it the accent that changes it, and if so is it always the case?

Answer 1

Hi Fontanero. Good question.

Is it the accent that changes it?

No, the accent doesn't change the noun, it only changes its pronunciation. El sofá is a masculine noun, and it's an exception to the "rule" that says most words ending in -a are feminine.

Other exceptions to the rule include "la mano," "el tema," "el día."

I was just starting to get the hang of it too! - fontanero, May 6, 2010

Most of the exceptions are covered by a few rules for exceptions, like "if it ends in -ma and is of Greek origin, its masculine" explains 'el tema.' No others are springing to mind, but I'll look around for a list. - MacFadden, May 6, 2010

A list of exceptions would be great, thanks - fontanero, May 6, 2010

Answer 2

Can you tell us where you saw la sofá in lesson 1.9? As you might realize it's time consuming to find an error by reviewing the entire lesson.

I only found one instance of sofá in the video and it was correct. I also only found one instance of sofá in the flashcards and it was correct. I didn't see it in the Write or Speak section.

Yes, it says el sofa, I thought it should be la sofa. - fontanero, May 6, 2010

Thanks for looking into it. - fontanero, May 6, 2010

Answer 3

Hi fontanero, sorry, if that is what it says, it is a mistake, it is

el sofá

It does say el sofa, but shouldn't it be la sofa? - fontanero, May 6, 2010