Adjectives in Spanish

How to Use Adjectives in Spanish

Key points about using adjectives in Spanish:

• Most Spanish adjectives go after the noun.
• Certain types of adjectives go before the noun.
• Sometimes an adjective can go before or after the noun, which can change its meaning.
• Adjectives must agree with the gender (masculine and feminine) of the noun they modify.
• Adjectives must agree with the quantity of the noun they modify (singular or plural).

Unlike English, the Spanish language tends to put the adjective after the noun. This can feel strange for beginners, but with a little practice, you’ll get used to the difference in word order.

Adjectives in Spanish must also agree with the noun or pronoun that they modify in terms of gender (masculine and feminine) and quantity (singular and plural).

Most Spanish adjectives end in -o and follow the following pattern (caro means expensive):

• Masculine singular: -o (caro)
• Feminine singular: -a (cara)
• Masculine plural: -os (caros)
• Feminine plural: -as (caras)

Here are examples of how to use Spanish adjectives in the masculine form:

• Él es alto. (He is tall.)
• Ellos son altos. (They are tall.)

Here are examples of how to use adjectives in Spanish in the feminine form:

• Ella es alta. (She is tall.)
• Ellas son altas. (They are tall.)

Usually, adjectives in Spanish go after the noun, like in these examples:

• Estoy leyendo un libro interesante. (I am reading an interesting book.)
• Quiero comprar un vestido nuevo. (I want to buy a new dress.)
• El niño tiene juguetes ruidosos. (The boy has noisy toys.)
• Esta playa es un lugar muy tranquilo. (This beach is a very calm place.)

• Ahora que tengo dinero puedo comprar un carro nuevo. (Now that I have money I can buy a new car.)
• Mi televisión vieja se rompió. (My old television broke.)
• ¿Has visto el episodio nuevo? (Have you seen the new episode?)

Sometimes, adjectives in Spanish may go before the noun, like in these examples:

• Ella tiene muchas bags. (She has many bags.)
• Tuve la misma respuesta. (I had the same answer.)

In some cases, Spanish adjectives can go before or after the noun, which changes its meaning, like in these examples:

• Ella es una vieja amiga. (She is an old friend. - In this case, old means long-standing.)
• No necesito esas toallas viejas. (I don’t need those old towels. - In this case, old means old age.)

Here are some other examples of how to use adjectives in Spanish:

• Estoy cansado. (I am tired.)
• Julio es un mes malo para los mercados financieros. (July is a bad month for financial markets.)
• Compré una cobija grande. (I bought a big blanket.)
• ¡Qué barato! Me gusta mucho el precio. (How cheap! I like the price a lot.)