spanish suffix -or and 0ra

Question

1. Do you have a list of Spanish nouns whose suffix is -or and -ora?

2. I am a Spanish teacher trying to give lots of interesting examples.

Is there a pattern for when a noun uses the same verb stem? For instance, hablador is related to hablar. Etc. However, cantar does not produce cantador, but cantante instead.

¡Bienvenida al foro! Welcome to the forum. - 0074b507, Dec 8, 2011

Answer 1

Funny coincidence. I was at school today giving my last presentation for my Spanish phonetics class. After class I ran into a Mexican musician handing out flyers for a Christmas event "Navidad Flamenca". On the flyer his title in the band was listed as "cantante". He insisted that he was not in fact a "cantante", but rather a "cantador". It may have something to do with where he is from (México), or the type of band he is in (Flamenco).

Yes, Flamenco singers usually use that, and Flamenco dancers are usually referred as "bailadores/as" - 00e657d4, Dec 8, 2011

Crazy! Not too long ago I called my bro in-laws grandmother (Perú) a "bailadora" and she told me in Perú they would say "bailarina" - pescador1, Dec 8, 2011

Answer 2

However, cantar does not produce cantador, but cantante instead.

Not exactly

cantador, ra.

(De cantar).

1 - adj. ant. cantor. Era u. t. c. s.

2 - m. y f. Persona que tiene habilidad para cantar coplas populares.

3 - m. y f. Persona que tiene por oficio cantarlas.

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.

Although it's not the more common, the word exists, along with "cantor / cantora"

I'd say that there is a pattern, but sometimes there is another word more used. For example bailar ==> bailador / bailadora, even though bailarín / bailarina sounds a lot better (at least to me).

Thanks. What is the pattern then? Can all verb stems produce the -or / -ora forms? In other words, can we predict this occurrenc versus other forms? - erobinson, Dec 8, 2011

Answer 3

Thanks. What is the pattern then? Can all verb stems produce the -or / -ora forms? In other words, can we predict this occurrenc versus other forms

I'm not going to formulate a rule because I'm not sure, but you can see there is a pattern:

correr => corredor

jugar => jugador

pelear =>peleador

saltar =>saltador

cortar => cortador

llamar =>llamador

tomar => tomador

etc.

.

But this pattern also has several exceptions, like:

pintar => pintor (pintador exists according to the R.A.E., but I've never heard anyone using it)

reprimir =. represor

escribir => escritor (surprisingly, "escribidor is colloquial for bad writer).

.

So, although there is a pattern, there is not absolute rule or a way to know which verb follows it and which one doesn't.

Answer 4

You cannot say cantador, but you can say, cantor (El pájaro cantor). There are several words that this rule also applies to, like Cobrador, pintor, orador, adulador, compositor, perdedor, abrumador, etc.