GENDER
Every he, or male animal, is of the masculine gender; as, man,hombre; every she, or female, is of the feminine gender; as, woman,mujer. Nouns of inanimate objects or things ending ina,ad,bre,ion, are for the most part feminine; and those terminating ine,i,o,u,on, are masculine. The exceptions, however, are very numerous.
Common nouns ending ino, change it intoato form the feminine; as, son,hijo; daughter,hija. There are some that express their gender by a different word or termination; as, father,padre; mother,madre; bull,toro; cow,vaca; poet,poeta; poetess,poetisa. (See Ollendorff, p. 246.)
Common nouns terminating inan,on,or, add anato form the feminine; as lion,leon; lioness,leona; shepherd,pastor; shepherdess,pastora.