Adjectives: Declension

01

Forming the Feminine

The masculine form of an adjective is its dictionary form. To create the feminine form, several patterns are followed depending on the masculine ending.

General Rule: Add -a

For most masculine adjectives ending in a consonant or a stressed vowel, add an -a.

• alt → alta

  tall

• content → contenta

  happy

• bo → bona

  good

Change the Vowel Ending

If the masculine form ends in an unstressed vowel, that vowel changes to -a.

• Ending in -e: pobre → pobra - poor
• Ending in -o: ximple → ximpla - silly
• Ending in -u (as part of a diphthong): blau → blava - blue

Spelling Changes

Some consonants at the end of the masculine form change in the feminine to maintain the correct sound.

• -t becomes -da: buit → buida - empty
• -c becomes -ga: groc → groga - yellow
• -s becomes -ssa: gras → grassa - fat

02

Forming the Plural

The plural form of an adjective also depends on its gender and ending.

Feminine Plural

This is very regular. Simply change the final -a of the feminine singular form to -es.

• La noia és alta. → Les noies són altes.

  The girl is tall. → The girls are tall.

• una porta groga → unes portes grogues

  a yellow door → some yellow doors

Masculine Plural

The masculine plural has more variations.

• For adjectives ending in an unstressed vowel, add -s: ample → amples - wide
• For most adjectives ending in a consonant, add -s: verd → verds - green
• For adjectives ending in -s, -ç, or -x, add -os: gris → grisos - grey
• For adjectives ending in consonant clusters like -sc, -st, -xt, add -os: fosc → foscos - dark
• For adjectives ending in a stressed vowel, add -ns: bo → bons - good

03

Invariable Adjectives

Some adjectives have only one form for both masculine and feminine in the singular. These are often called "adjectives of one termination". Common endings for these adjectives include -e, -al, and -ant/-ent.

• un home amable

  a kind man

• una dona amable

  a kind woman

• un problema legal

  a legal problem

• una qüestió legal

  a legal matter

These adjectives still form a plural, typically by adding -s to the singular form.

• homes amables

  kind men

• problemes legals

  legal problems

04

Adjective Placement

The position of an adjective in relation to the noun can affect its meaning.

After the Noun (Default Position)

Most adjectives are placed after the noun. This is the standard position for objective, descriptive qualities like color, shape, nationality, or type.

• Tinc un cotxe vermell.

  I have a red car.

• És un plat tradicional.

  It's a traditional dish.

Before the Noun (Emphasis or Meaning Change)

Placing an adjective before the noun is less common and is used for emphasis, to express a subjective opinion, or to describe an inherent quality. For some adjectives, this change in position also changes the meaning.

• És un bon restaurant.

  It's a good restaurant. (subjective opinion)

• La freda nit d'hivern.

  The cold winter night. (inherent quality, more literary)

Compare the meanings in these pairs:

• El meu veí és un home pobre.

  My neighbor is a poor man. (lacks money)

• Pobre home, ha perdut les claus.

  Poor man, he has lost his keys. (pitiful, unfortunate)

• Busco un pis gran.

  I'm looking for a big apartment. (large in size)

• Va ser un gran dia.

  It was a great day. (excellent, wonderful)