by Admin November 20, 2025, 2:36 pmupdated November 20, 2025, 2:39 pm inSpanish

Masculine Spanish Nouns Ending in “-a” (Including “-ista” Professions)

Updated and expanded for 2025

El Mapa

Many students begin learning Spanish with the general rule that nouns ending in “-a” are feminine.
This rule is often true… but there are dozens of very common exceptions, especially words of Greek origin, and also profession nouns ending in -ista, which take masculine or feminine articles depending on the person, but the noun ending never changes.

This guide expands and updates the original SpanishNY.com post with a clearer structure, a complete table, and several new examples.

Understanding these masculine “-a” nouns is essential for speaking correct Spanish, especially when matching articles and adjectives.

All original items included in 2006 and 2021, plus new ones

Spanish	English
el día	day
el programa	program
el problema	problem
el poema	poem
el mapa	map
el planeta	planet
el cometa	comet
el dilema	dilemma
el fonema	phoneme
el aroma	aroma
el panorama	panorama
el sistema	system
el morfema	morpheme
el tema	theme / subject
el enfisema	emphysema
el clima	climate / weather
el edema	edema
el eczema	eczema
el crucigrama	crossword puzzle
el organigrama	organizational chart
el fonograma	phonogram
el telegrama	telegram
el drama	drama
el esquema	outline / scheme
el síntoma	symptom
el estigma	stigma
el prisma	prism
el poema	poem
el teorema	theorem
el idioma	language
el fantasma	ghost
el atleta	athlete
el espía	spy
el poeta	poet
el cura	priest
el sofá	sofa
el tequila	tequila
el vigía	watchman
el mapa	map

Masculine nouns ending in –ista (profession / role nouns)

(masculine when referring to a man, feminine when referring to a woman)

Spanish Noun	English Meaning
el taxista	taxi driver
el analista	analyst
el comunista	communist
el laborista	Labor Party member
el anarquista	anarchist
el alquimista	alchemist
el columnista	columnist
el deportista	athlete
el conferencista	lecturer
el periodista	journalist
el cronista	reporter / columnist
el novelista	novelist
el cuentista	fiction writer
el rescatista	rescuer
el socorrista	lifeguard / rescuer
el alpinista	mountain climber
el bañista	swimmer / bather
el recepcionista	receptionist
el dentista	dentist
el inversionista	investor
el paracaidista	parachutist
el concertista	concert performer
el anestesista	anesthetist
el especialista	specialist
el tenista	tennis player
el velocista	sprinter
el ajedrecista	chess player
el golfista	golfer
el basquetbolista	basketball player
el clavadista	diver
el beisbolista	baseball player
el contrabandista	smuggler
el extremista	extremist
el racista	racist
el narcisista	narcissist
el antagonista	antagonist
el oficinista	office clerk
el manicurista	manicurist
el pedicurista	pedicurist
el machista	male chauvinist
el maquillista	makeup artist
el estilista	stylist / hairdresser
el adventista	Adventist
el artista	artist
el retratista	portrait artist
el caricaturista	cartoonist
el turista	tourist
el arreglista	musical arranger
el pianista	pianist
el baterista	drummer
el trompetista	trumpet player
el organista	organist
el violinista	violinist
el acordeonista	accordionist
el guitarrista	guitarist
el malabarista	juggler
el maquinista	train engineer
el transportista	transport worker

New –ista examples (added for 2025 update)

Spanish	English
el barista	barista
el futbolista	soccer player
el ambientalista	environmentalist
el economista	economist
el humanista	humanist
el lingüista	linguist
el pianista	pianist (already listed, kept for consistency)
el motociclista	motorcyclist
el violinista	violinist (already listed)
el violinista eléctrico	electric violinist (modern)
el minimalista	minimalist (art/style)
el realista	realist
el surrealista	surrealist
el guionista	screenwriter
el urbanista	urban planner

Final Notes for Students

Words ending in –ma, –ema, –oma of Greek origin are almost always masculine.
-ista nouns never change form—only the article changes:
- el dentista (male dentist)
- la dentista (female dentist)
Many “-a” masculine nouns are extremely common in everyday speech.