Adjectives: Declension

01

Gender Agreement

The ending of an adjective depends on the gender of the noun it modifies.

Variable Adjectives (-o/-a)

The most common pattern involves adjectives that end in -o in their dictionary form (masculine). To make them feminine, change the -o to an -a.

• El chico alto juega al fútbol.

  The tall boy plays football.

• La chica alta lee un libro.

  The tall girl reads a book.

• Tengo un coche rojo.

  I have a red car.

• Llevo una falda roja.

  I am wearing a red skirt.

Invariant Adjectives

Adjectives ending in -e or most consonants (like -l, -z, -n) usually do not change form for gender. They use the same ending for both masculine and feminine nouns.

• El hombre inteligente.

  The intelligent man.

• La mujer inteligente.

  The intelligent woman.

• Un examen difícil.

  A difficult exam.

• Una situación difícil.

  A difficult situation.

02

Exceptions to Invariant Adjectives

While many adjectives ending in consonants do not change, there are specific groups that do require a feminine form by adding -a.

• Nationalities: Adjectives of nationality ending in a consonant add -a for the feminine form.

• El vino francés.

  The French wine.

• La cultura francesa.

  The French culture.

• Un amigo español.

  A Spanish friend.

• Una ciudad española.

  A Spanish city.

• Endings in -or, -ón, -án: Adjectives ending in these suffixes generally add -a.

• Es un hombre muy trabajador.

  He is a very hard-working man.

• Es una mujer muy trabajadora.

  She is a very hard-working woman.

03

Forming the Plural

Adjectives must also agree with the number of the noun. The rules for making an adjective plural are very similar to those for nouns.

• Ending in a vowel: Add -s.

• El plato sucio. -> Los platos sucios.

  The dirty plates.

• La casa grande. -> Las casas grandes.

  The big houses.

• Ending in a consonant: Add -es.

• El color azul. -> Los colores azules.

  The blue colors.

• Es un ejercicio fácil. -> Son ejercicios fáciles.

  They are easy exercises.

• Ending in -z: Change the z to c and add -es.

• El niño feliz. -> Los niños felices.

  The happy children.

• Un animal feroz. -> Unos animales feroces.

  Some ferocious animals.

04

Position of Adjectives

The placement of the adjective relative to the noun can indicate the type of description being provided.

Post-nominal (After the noun)

This is the standard position in Spanish. It is used to distinguish one noun from another or to describe an objective quality.

• Quiero la manzana verde.

  I want the green apple. (Distinguishing it from the red one).

Pre-nominal (Before the noun)

Placing the adjective before the noun is often used for emphasis, poetic effect, or to describe an inherent quality that is already known or expected.

• La blanca nieve cubría el suelo.

  The white snow covered the ground. (Snow is inherently white).

Meaning Changes

Some adjectives change their meaning entirely depending on their position.

• Un hombre pobre.

  A poor man. (A man with no money).

• Un pobre hombre.

  A poor man. (A man who is unfortunate or pitiful).

• Una vieja amiga.

  An old friend. (A friend you have known for a long time).

• Una amiga vieja.

  An old friend. (A friend who is elderly).

05

Shortened Forms (Apocope)

A few common adjectives lose their final syllable or letter when placed before a singular noun.

• Bueno and malo lose the final -o before a masculine singular noun.

• Es un buen día.

  It is a good day.

• Hace mal tiempo.

  The weather is bad.

• Grande becomes gran before any singular noun (masculine or feminine). Note that the meaning often shifts to "great" rather than "big" in this position.

• Es una gran oportunidad.

  It is a great opportunity.

• Es un gran edificio.

  It is a great building.