Mastering Spanish adjectives can be challenging, especially if you're new to learning a language with gendered nouns. Unlike English, Spanish adjectives change based on the gender and number of the noun they describe. While the rules are straightforward, putting them into practice can be tricky.

 

What is an adjective?

If you’re a bit fuzzy on what adjectives are, you’re not alone. Many of us haven’t thought about the difference between nouns, adjectives, and verbs since grade school.

 

But now that you’re learning Spanish, understanding these basics will make your life much easier. So here’s a quick refresher.

 

An adjective is a word that describes a noun (which is a person, place, or thing). Some examples in English are "happy," "bad," "small," "wise," and "interesting."

 

Common Spanish adjectives

Here are some of the most frequently used Spanish adjectives that you'll encounter:

 

• Bueno/a | Good
• Malo/a | Bad
• Feliz | Happy
• Triste | Sad
• Grande | Large
• Pequeño/a | Small
• Bonito/a | Attractive
• Feo/a | Ugly
• Fuerte | Strong

There are countless more, but starting with basic adjectives like colors, emotions, and personal descriptions will cover most everyday conversations.

 

Placement of Spanish adjectives

In English, adjectives usually come before the noun they describe, like in “red house” or “smelly cat,” or they follow a linking verb, like in “the girl looks angry” or “the ball is flat.”

 

In Spanish, however, the adjective typically comes after the noun. For example, “red house” becomes “casa roja,” and “the baby is sad” follows the same pattern as in English: “el bebé está triste.”

 

Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule.

 

Spanish adjectives that change meaning based on placement

Some Spanish adjectives can be placed before or after the noun, and their meaning changes depending on their position. This is a more advanced topic since the differences are often subtle. Here are a few examples:

 

Cierto

• cierto hombre | a certain man
• el hombre cierto | the correct man

Pobre

• el pobre niño | the poor (pitiful) child
• el niño pobre | the poor (impoverished) child

Viejo

• mi viejo profesor | my old (former) teacher
• mi profesor viejo | my old (aged) teacher

Único

• tu única oportunidad | your only opportunity
• tu oportunidad única | your unique opportunity

Grande

• la gran casa | the grand house
• la casa grande | the large house

Nuevo

• mi nuevo celular | my new (to me) cellphone
• mi celular nuevo | my new (from the store) cellphone

Spanish Adjectives That Only Appear Before the Noun

A select few Spanish adjectives are used exclusively before the noun or after a verb, often when expressing superlatives.

These adjectives will change to a plural form when paired with plural nouns, but they remain the same regardless of the noun's gender.

 

Here are some examples:

 

• mejor | better/best
• la mejor forma de vivir | the best way to live
• peor | worse/worst
• el peor bonbon de la caja | the worst candy in the box

 

Understanding Spanish Adjective Endings

In Spanish, singular adjectives typically end in -z, -r, -l, -e, or -o/-a, with the -o/-a ending being the most common. For masculine nouns, adjectives end in -o, while for feminine nouns, they end in -a.

 

When adjectives become plural, they end in -s, whether that’s -es, -os, or -as. Masculine plural adjectives end in -os, and feminine plural adjectives end in -as. Adjectives that end in -es can be used for both masculine and feminine nouns.

 

Spanish Adjective Agreement

You might wonder how an adjective can have gender or plurality. The key is that Spanish adjectives don’t inherently have gender or plurality; they simply match the noun they describe. This means the adjective will agree with the noun in both gender and number.

 

How to Choose the Right Spanish Adjective Form

To determine the correct adjective form, first identify the noun you’re describing and ask yourself these questions:

 

What is the noun?

Look at the phrase to figure out which word represents a person, place, or thing. A good clue is to find the word preceded by an article (el/la/los/las/un/una/unos/unas) or a number.

What is the noun’s gender?

Check the noun’s ending. If it ends in -o, it’s likely masculine; if it ends in -a, it’s probably feminine. For other endings, look at the article preceding the noun—masculine articles are “el/los/un/unos” and feminine ones are “la/las/una/unas.” Native speakers usually know a noun’s gender by heart, so memorization is key.

Is the noun singular or plural?

If the noun ends in -s, it’s probably plural, though there are exceptions, like "sacapuntas" (pencil sharpener). Again, look at the article or other preceding words to confirm.

Once you know the noun’s gender and number, apply this to the adjective.

 

Example:

• 11 gatos | 11 cats
• Noun: Gatos (after the number)
• Gender: Masculine (ends in -os)
• Number: Plural (ends in -s)

To describe "11 ugly cats," the adjective “feo” (ugly) needs to match the noun in gender and number. Since “gatos” is masculine and plural, the adjective becomes “feos.” The correct phrase is "11 gatos feos."

 

Another Example:

• La cerveza está aquí. | The beer is here.
• Noun: Cerveza (after the article "la")
• Gender: Feminine (ends in -a)
• Number: Singular (no -s)

To say "the beer is cold," change the adjective "frío" to "fría" to match the feminine, singular noun. The correct sentence is "la cerveza está fría."

 

Practice Exercises for Spanish Adjective Agreement

Now it’s your turn! In the following sentences, the adjectives are in their default (masculine, singular) form. Your task is to check if they are correct, and if not, correct them.

 

• La flor es bonito.
• Yo quiero un beso suave.
• Mi madre compró unos libros académico.
• La habitación era grande.
• Mis hermanos son fastidioso.

 

Spanish Adjectives That Don’t Change

Some Spanish adjectives remain unchanged regardless of the noun’s gender or number. While these forms are becoming less common, especially in Latin America, where words like "rosa" (pink) can change to "rosado" and "naranja" (orange) to "anaranjado," here are some examples of adjectives that don’t change:

 

• rosa | pink
• naranja | orange
• cereza | cherry-colored
• macho | male
• hembra | female