It doesnβt take long to realize that Spanish adjectives follow different rules than in English, does it?
They come in all sorts of βwrongβ places.
They change their form.
They even change their number.
It is so easy to get discouraged and confused. If adjectives werenβt so useful, many of us would probably ignore and never use them.
Unfortunately, you canβt avoid using adjectives – they make the language more colorful and descriptive; they allow you to better explain your ideas, choices, and needs.
Time for an attitude change, then! Letβs conquer Spanish adjectives together, shall we?
Adjectives in Spanish – the Absolute Grammar Essentials
- adjectives are words that describe or clarify nouns
- they may contain information about size, color, texture, age, shape, etc.
- in Spanish, their gender depends on the noun they accompany
- for some adjectives, the masculine and feminine forms are the same
- unlike in English, Spanish adjectives have singular and plural form
I realize such a compact summary is probably not enough to clarify all your doubts and questions, which is why we are going to analyze Spanish adjectives in more detail.
What are adjectives and how to use them in Spanish?
For those of you who are not entirely familiar with grammar concepts, adjectives are a group of words that modify / describe nouns (that is: objects, people, places, animals, concepts, etc.)
Letβs take a simple noun: a house.
In Spanish, that would translate as una casa.
Now, ask yourself what a house can be or look like.
There are so many possibilities, arenβt there?
A big house,
a modern house,
an expensive house,
cozy house,
an old house, etc.
All the words Iβve marked in cursive are nothing else than ADJECTIVES.
English is packed with different types of adjectives, but today we will be dealing only with one of them, which is descriptive adjectives. They can contain information about:
- appearance (pretty, ugly, handsome, attractive, etc.)
- size (small, big, tiny, enormous, etc.)
- shape (round, oval, square, etc.)
- color (white, blue, yellow, green, etc.)
- texture (soft, smooth, rough, etc.)
- temperature (hot, cold, chilly, warm, etc.)
- personality (funny, friendly, shy, outgoing, etc.)
- other qualities (dangerous, crowded, violent, etc.)
All of these descriptive adjectives have, of course, their Spanish equivalents.
How about if we see a few examples weβll later use as our base?
30 common adjectives in Spanish and their 30 antonyms:
πͺπΈ grande – π¬π§ big πͺπΈ bonito – π¬π§ pretty πͺπΈ rico – π¬π§ rich πͺπΈ alto – π¬π§ high πͺπΈ caliente – π¬π§ hot πͺπΈ barato – π¬π§ cheap πͺπΈ rΓ‘pido – π¬π§ fast πͺπΈ seguro -π¬π§ safe, secure πͺπΈ liviano – π¬π§ light πͺπΈ joven – π¬π§ young πͺπΈ fΓ‘cil – π¬π§ easy πͺπΈ listo – π¬π§ smart πͺπΈ interesante – π¬π§ interesting πͺπΈ delgado – π¬π§ thin, slim πͺπΈ simple– π¬π§ simple πͺπΈ largo – π¬π§ long πͺπΈ claro – π¬π§ light, clear πͺπΈ mojado – π¬π§ wet πͺπΈ suave – π¬π§ smooth πͺπΈ blando – π¬π§ soft πͺπΈ ancho – π¬π§ wide, broad πͺπΈ energΓ©tico – π¬π§ energetic πͺπΈ delicioso- π¬π§ delicious πͺπΈ limpio – π¬π§ clean πͺπΈ cortΓ©s – π¬π§ polite πͺπΈ fuerte– π¬π§ strong πͺπΈ valiente – π¬π§ brave πͺπΈ alegre – π¬π§ happy πͺπΈ abierto – π¬π§ open πͺπΈ lleno – π¬π§full | πͺπΈ pequeΓ±o– π¬π§ small πͺπΈ feo – π¬π§ ugly πͺπΈ pobre – π¬π§ poor πͺπΈ bajo – π¬π§ low πͺπΈ frio – π¬π§ cold πͺπΈ caro – π¬π§ expensive πͺπΈ lento – π¬π§ slow πͺπΈ peligroso – π¬π§ dangerous πͺπΈ pesado – π¬π§ heavy πͺπΈ viejo – π¬π§ old πͺπΈ difΓcil– π¬π§ difficult πͺπΈ tonto – π¬π§ silly, stupid πͺπΈ aburrido – π¬π§ boring πͺπΈ gordo – π¬π§ fat πͺπΈ complicado – π¬π§ complicated πͺπΈ corto – π¬π§ short πͺπΈ oscuro – π¬π§ dark πͺπΈ seco – π¬π§ dry πͺπΈ Γ‘spero – π¬π§ rough πͺπΈ duro – π¬π§ hard πͺπΈ estrecho – π¬π§ narrow πͺπΈ cansado – π¬π§ tired πͺπΈ asqueroso – π¬π§ disgusting πͺπΈ sucio – π¬π§ dirty πͺπΈ maleducado – π¬π§ rude πͺπΈ dΓ©bil – π¬π§ weak πͺπΈ cobarde – π¬π§ coward πͺπΈ triste – π¬π§ sad πͺπΈ cerrado – π¬π§ close πͺπΈ vacΓo – π¬π§ empty |
For more examples of adjectives, check out my posts on personality traits, feelings and moods, shopping, and restaurants in Spanish.
Spanish adjectives go AFTER the noun.
That is the first and most important rule about Spanish adjectives, which makes it quite different from English and causes quite a few mistakes among native English speakers.
Letβs have a look:
πͺπΈ Esta es una casa grande.
π¬π§ This is a big house.
πͺπΈ Vivo en un edificio alto.
π¬π§ I live in a tall building.
πͺπΈ Tengo un perro viejo.
π¬π§ I have an old dog.
πͺπΈ Necesito un carro nuevo.
π¬π§ I need a new car.
πͺπΈ Test Your Spanish Knowledge πͺπΈ
See? In the Spanish version, you need to mention the noun first and then describe it with an adjective of your choice.
Letβs call it our Rule of Thumb #1.
Genders in Spanish grammar
Another important difference between English and Spanish has to do with word gender.
Youβre probably asking yourself, βWhat? How can words have a genderβ?
In English, you canβt say whether a lamp is masculine or feminine, or a car, or a table.
The articles that accompany nouns (A / AN or THE) donβt convey any such information.
In Spanish, however, nouns DO have genders, and the articles tell you if a specific word is considered feminine or masculine.
πͺπΈ un perro – the article UN indicates that the noun is masculine
π¬π§ a dog
πͺπΈ una casa – the article UNA indicates that the noun is feminine
π¬π§ a house
When we talk about a specific dog or a particular house, the indefinite articles UN and UNA are replaced with EL and LA.
πͺπΈ el perro – π¬π§ the dog
πͺπΈ la casa – π¬π§ the house
Now, letβs suppose that you want to describe both the dog and the house with adjectives.
The Rule of Thumb # 2 says: adjust the adjectiveβs form according to the gender of the noun it describes.
Oh, boy!
Sorry if I am getting too scholarly. I am a teacher, after all.
I promise I will do my best to explain it in an easy way.
How to change the gender of Spanish adjectives from masculine to feminine?
The way you find adjectives in a dictionary or an online translator is in their masculine form. The adjectives from the list above are all masculine as well.
How to change them to feminine?
Well, it depends on how they end:
Adjectives ending in an β-O.β
This group of adjectives replaces the vowel O with A in the feminine form.
So:
frΓo – frΓa
bonito – bonita
pequeΓ±o – pequeΓ±a
lento – lenta
peligroso – peligrosa
What would it look like in combination with nouns?
πͺπΈ un / el plato frΓo – the word βplatoβ is masculine, and so is the adjective
π¬π§ a / the cold dish
πͺπΈ una / la niΓ±a pequeΓ±a – the word βniΓ±aβ is feminine, and so it the adjective
π¬π§ a / the little girl
Would you like to see some more examples?
πͺπΈ βEl Patito Feoβ es mi cuento favorito. – both βpatitoβ and βcuentoβ are masculine
π¬π§ βThe Ugly Duckingβ is my favorite story.
πͺπΈ No quiero vivir en una calle peligrosa. – βcalleβ is feminine
π¬π§ I donβt want to live in a dangerous street.
πͺπΈ Necesitamos cortar el Γ‘rbol alto. – βΓ‘rbolβ is masculine
π¬π§ We need to cut down the tall tree.
πͺπΈ ΒΏPor quΓ© compraste una motocicleta vieja? – βmotocicletaβ is feminine
π¬π§ Why did you buy an old motorcycle?
Adjectives ending in an β-Eβ or β-Aβ
This group of adjectives is much easier as it does not require you to change anything, no matter if you describe a masculine or a feminine noun.
Check out the phrases below:
πͺπΈ un paΓs grande – βpaΓsβ is masculine in Spanish
π¬π§ a big country
πͺπΈ una ciudad grande – βciudadβ is feminine in Spanish
π¬π§ a big city
The same thing happens with an adjective βoptimistaβ – optimistic.
πͺπΈ un plan optimista – βplanβ is masculine in Spanish
π¬π§ an optimistic plan
πͺπΈ una canciΓ³n optimista– βcanciΓ³nβ is feminine in Spanish
un optimistic song
See? No change! Adjectives like βgrandeβ and βoptimistaβ are much friendlier!
- πͺπΈ alegre – π¬π§ happy
- πͺπΈ amable – π¬π§ kind
- πͺπΈ fuerte – π¬π§ strong
- πͺπΈ rentable– π¬π§ profitable
- πͺπΈ responsable – π¬π§ responsible
- πͺπΈ importante -π¬π§ important
- πͺπΈ brillante – π¬π§brilliant
- πͺπΈ consciente – π¬π§ conscious
- πͺπΈ prudente – π¬π§ careful
- πͺπΈ cobarde – π¬π§ coward
- πͺπΈ inteligente – π¬π§ intelligent
- πͺπΈ emocionante – π¬π§ exciting
- πͺπΈ interesante– π¬π§ interesting
- πͺπΈ realista – π¬π§ realistic
- πͺπΈ futurista – π¬π§ futuristic
- πͺπΈ pacifista – π¬π§ pacifist
- πͺπΈ pesimista – π¬π§ pessimistic
- πͺπΈ perfeccionista – π¬π§ perfectionist
Adjectives ending in a consonant
The third group of Spanish adjectives includes those whose last letter is a consonant. Most of them (there are exceptions, unfortunately) keep the same form no matter the gender of the described noun.
If you scroll back to our list, youβll find one adjective belonging to this category: joven – young.
πͺπΈ una pareja joven – βparejaβ is a feminine noun in Spanish
π¬π§ a young couple
πͺπΈ un hombre joven – βhombreβ is, of course, masculine
π¬π§ a young man
Would you like to learn more adjectives that finish in a consonant? Here are some:
- πͺπΈ leΓ‘l– π¬π§ loyal
- πͺπΈ feliz– π¬π§ happy
- πͺπΈ dΓ©bil– π¬π§ weak
- πͺπΈ fΓ‘cil – π¬π§ easy
- πͺπΈ azul- π¬π§ blue
- πͺπΈ fiel – π¬π§ faithful, loyal
- πͺπΈ cortΓ©s – π¬π§ polite
πͺπΈ El perro de mi vecino es muy fiel. – βperroβ is masculine
π¬π§ My neighborβs dog is very loyal.
πͺπΈ La trabajadora mΓ‘s fiel que hemos tenido es Margarita. – βtrabajadoraβ is feminine
π¬π§ Margarita is the most loyal worker weβve had.
πͺπΈ La tarea que me diste no es fΓ‘cil. – βtareaβ is feminine
π¬π§ The task you gave me is not easy.
πͺπΈ El trabajo de Pedro es muy fΓ‘cil. – βtrabajoβ is masculine
π¬π§ Pedroβs job is not easy.
For those of you who are slightly more advanced in Spanish, you might stumble upon exceptions to this rule. Adjectives ending in β-ΓN,β βOR,β or β-ΓSβ lose the accent in feminine form and add the letter βAβ at the end:
πͺπΈ gruΓ±Γ³n – gruΓ±ona
π¬π§ grumpy
πͺπΈ hablador – habladora
π¬π§ chatty
πͺπΈ francΓ©s – francesa
π¬π§ French
Luckily, they are not too many.
Spanish adjectives in the plural form
Congratulations! Youβve just gotten through one major grammar topic.
Time for the next one! Adjectives in Spanish and their number.
As you know, English adjectives donβt pluralize. They always keep the same, no matter if the noun they describe is used in the singular or plural form. Like in the sentences below:
I want to eat a red apple. – the noun βappleβ is in singular form (only one)
He doesnβt like red apples. – the noun βapplesβ is in plural form (multiple apples)
See? You can change the noun from singular to plural, yet the English adjective remains unchanged.
If you are learning Spanish, however, you may forget this rule.
Instead, learn our Rule of Thumb # 3: Spanish adjectives do pluralize.
Making the plural form by adding an βS.β
The good news is, in most cases, they make their plural form by simply adding the letter βSβ at the end. This rule applies to adjectives ending in a vowel (βO,β βEβ or βAβ)
πͺπΈ un chico guapo – muchos chicos guapos
π¬π§ a handsome guy – many handsome guys
πͺπΈ un dΓa hermoso – muchos dΓas hermosos
π¬π§ a beautiful day – many beautiful days
πͺπΈ un postre delicioso- muchos postres deliciosos
π¬π§ a delicious dessert – many delicious desserts
πͺπΈ un hombre amable – muchos hombres amables
π¬π§ a nice man – many nice men
πͺπΈ un plan realista – muchos planes realistas
π¬π§ a realistic plan – many realistic plans
Iβm sure youΒ΄ll agree it is not such a big deal having to remember about the additional βS.β You need to pluralize the noun anyway, right?
Plural form and the adjective gender
If you review the examples of the plural form above, youβll realize that all the nouns I used are masculine.
What happens if the noun you want to describe is feminine?
In such a case, your job is double: you have to adjust the gender of the adjective you use AND its number.
Have a look:
πͺπΈ una mujer rubia – muchas mujeres rubias
π¬π§ a blond woman – many blond women
πͺπΈ una maΓ±ana tranquila – muchas maΓ±anas tranquilas
π¬π§ a beautiful day – many beautiful days
πͺπΈ una calle peligrosa– muchas calles peligrosas
π¬π§ a dangerous street – many dangerous streets
Of course, for those adjectives whose masculine and feminine form is the same, you only need to worry about the number.
πͺπΈ una mujer amable – muchas mujeres amables
π¬π§ a nice woman- many nice women
πͺπΈ una tarea realista – muchas tareas realistas
π¬π§ a realistic task- many realistic tasks
How to pluralize adjectives ending in a consonant
The last group of adjectives we need to analyze are those that end in a consonant.
Do you remember some of them?
Thatβs right: leΓ‘l, cortΓ©s, azul, fΓ‘cil, feliz, etc.
Can you recall whether or not they changed their gender? No, they didnβt
But they do change their number.
However, in Spanish, you canβt simply βglueβ the βSβ to another consonant.
β los ejercicios fΓ‘cils
β los ojos azuls
Instead, you need to separate the 2 consonants with the vowel βEβ. So:
βοΈ los ejercicios fΓ‘ciles
βοΈ los ojos azules
That is not the only thing youβll need to remember, though.
There are two more details regarding the plural form of the adjectives ending in a consonant:
- When the last consonant of the adjective is βZ,β it needs to be replaced with βCβ and then added βES.β
πͺπΈ un final feliz – muchos finales felices
π¬π§ a happy end – many happy ends
πͺπΈ un lobo feroz – muchos lobos feroces
π¬π§ a ferocious wolf – many ferocious wolves
πͺπΈ una mujer eficaz – muchas mujeres eficaces
π¬π§ an efficient woman – many efficient women
πͺπΈ una persona voraz – muchas personas voraces
π¬π§ a voracious person – many voracious people
- The adjectives that stress the last syllable in the singular form lose the accent mark in the plural form. This rule applies to adjectives that have at least two syllables.
πͺπΈ un hombre leΓ‘l – muchos hombres leales
π¬π§ a loyal man – many loyal men
πͺπΈ una persona cortΓ©s – muchas personas corteses
π¬π§ a polite person – many polite people
πͺπΈ un gato gruΓ±Γ³n – muchos gatos gruΓ±ones
π¬π§ a grumpy cat- many grumpy cats
***
Thatβs all about adjectives, guys!
Please remember our 3 Rules of Thumb:
#1 Spanish adjectives go after the noun
#2 Spanish adjectives have genders
#3 Spanish adjectives can change the number from singular to plural