Adjectives in Spanish

Adjectives in Spanish are words that describe or qualify characteristics of nouns (people, places, objects, concepts, etc.). They can refer to qualities such as color, size, shape, state, origin, among others. In Spanish, adjectives are not conjugated like verbs, but they do agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they are modifying.

Page content

»Concordance of adjectives in gender
»Concordance of adjectives in number
»Position in the sentence
»List of the most common adjectives in Spanish
»Conclusion

Gender concordance

If the noun is masculine, the adjective must also be masculine. We add "-o" for masculine. If the noun is feminine, the adjective must be feminine. We add "-a" for feminine.

Example:

Masculine noun: A red car (red agrees with "coche" which is masculine).
Feminine noun: A red house (red agrees with "casa" which is feminine).

Concordance in number

If the noun is singular, the adjective must also be singular. If the noun is plural, the adjective must be plural. We add "-s" for plural.

Example:

Singular noun: A red car (red agrees with "coche" which is singular).
Plural noun: Two red cars (red agrees with "coches" which is plural).

Position in the sentence

In Spanish, the position of the adjective can vary depending on several factors, such as the function it fulfills in the sentence, the intention of the speaker and the characteristics of the adjective. The most common adjective positions in Spanish are described below:

1. Position before the noun:

- Qualifying adjective: In most cases, qualifying adjectives are placed before the noun they modify.

- Example: A big house, an interesting book, an exciting movie.

2. Position after the noun:

- Specifying adjective: Although less common, some specifying adjectives are placed after the noun to provide additional information and are often related to origin, relationship, material or possession.

- Example: A trusted person, a playground, a historic house.

3. Position after the verb "to be":

- In certain situations, especially when a specific quality is to be emphasized, the adjective can be placed after the verb "to be".

- Example: The car is fast, The movie is exciting, She is smart.

4. Position after a possessive pronoun:

- When a possessive pronoun is used, the adjective is usually placed after the possessive pronoun and before the noun.

- Example: My Big House, Your Interesting Book, Our Exciting Project.

The choice of adjective position may vary according to context, communicative intent and region. It is essential to keep in mind the fluency and naturalness of the language when placing adjectives in different positions in a Spanish sentence.

The colors

Spanish	English
Rojo	Red
Azul	Blue
Amarillo	Yellow
Verde	Green
Blanco	White
Negro	Black
Gris	Gray
Marrón	Brown
Anaranjado	Orange
Rosado	Pink

Emotions

Spanish	English
Feliz	Happy
Triste	Sad
Enojado	Angry
Asustado	Scared
Cansado	Tired
Contento	Content
Sorprendido	Surprised
Aburrido	Bored
Ansioso	Anxious
Nervioso	Nervous

Age and size related

Spanish	English
Joven	Young
Viejo	Old
Adulto	Adult
Infantil	Childish
Adolescente	Teenage
Anciano	Elderly
Pequeño	Small / Little
Alto	Tall
Bajo	Short
Largo	Long
Corto	Short

Physical conditions

Spanish	English
Saludable	Healthy
Enfermo	Sick
Fuerte	Strong
Débil	Weak
Ágil	Agile
Rápido	Fast
Lento	Slow
Delgado	Thin
Gordo	Fat
Flaco	Thin
Guapo	Handsome

Conclusion

To improve your Spanish vocabulary, we recommend using dictionaries, books, apps and online resources to discover new adjectives and their meaning. Also, familiarize yourself with gender and number agreement by creating sentences in which you use adjectives in different positions. If you want to improve your grammar, don't hesitate to take a language trip to one of our destinations!

Learn more Spanish

Prepositions