Adjectives: Declension

01

Gender Agreement

Most adjectives have different forms for masculine and feminine nouns.

Adjectives ending in -o / -a

This is the most common pattern. Adjectives ending in -o are used with masculine nouns. To make them feminine, change the -o to an -a.

• El mercado está lleno.

  The market is full. (masculine)

• La calle está llena.

  The street is full. (feminine)

• Compré un sombrero mexicano.

  I bought a Mexican hat. (masculine)

• Me encanta la comida mexicana.

  I love Mexican food. (feminine)

Invariable Adjectives

Some adjectives have the same form for both masculine and feminine nouns. These are often called invariable or gender-neutral adjectives.

• Adjectives ending in -e:

• Es un problema grande.

  It's a big problem. (masculine)

• Es una ciudad grande.

  It's a big city. (feminine)

• Adjectives ending in a consonant (like -l, -n, or -r):

• El cielo está azul.

  The sky is blue. (masculine)

• Lleva una falda azul.

  She is wearing a blue skirt. (feminine)

• Es un chico muy joven.

  He is a very young boy. (masculine)

• Es una doctora muy joven.

  She is a very young doctor. (feminine)

• Adjectives ending in -ista:

• Mi amigo es optimista.

  My friend is optimistic. (masculine)

• Mi amiga es optimista.

  My friend is optimistic. (feminine)

An important exception to the consonant rule is for adjectives of nationality. If a nationality ends in a consonant, you add an -a to form the feminine.

• Un director alemán.

  A German director. (masculine)

• Una directora alemana.

  A German director. (feminine)

02

Number Agreement

Adjectives also change form to agree with singular or plural nouns.

Ending in a vowel

If the singular form of an adjective ends in a vowel (-o, -a, -e), add an -s to make it plural.

• El coche es rojo.

  The car is red.

• Los coches son rojos.

  The cars are red.

• La película es interesante.

  The movie is interesting.

• Las películas son interesantes.

  The movies are interesting.

Ending in a consonant

If the singular form of an adjective ends in a consonant, add -es to make it plural.

• Es un examen fácil.

  It's an easy exam.

• Son exámenes fáciles.

  They are easy exams.

Ending in -z

For adjectives ending in -z, change the z to a c and then add -es.

• El actor es muy capaz.

  The actor is very capable.

• Los actores son muy capaces.

  The actors are very capable.

• ¡Qué niño tan feliz!

  What a happy child!

• ¡Qué niños tan felices!

  What happy children!

03

Adjective Placement and Meaning

Unlike in English, adjectives in Spanish usually come after the noun they describe. This is the standard, neutral position.

• Quiero un agua fresca.

  I want a cold water.

• Es una persona inteligente.

  He is an intelligent person.

Placing an adjective before the noun is less common and can change the emphasis or even the meaning of the adjective. It often highlights an inherent or subjective quality.

Some adjectives have distinct meanings depending on their position:

• Grande (big/great)

• Es un hombre grande.

  He is a big man. (in size)

• Es un gran hombre.

  He is a great man. (in character)

Note: grande shortens to gran before a singular noun.

• Pobre (poor)

• Es una familia pobre.

  It's a poor family. (lacking money)

• ¡Pobre mujer! Perdió todo.

  Poor woman! She lost everything. (unfortunate, pitiable)

• Viejo (old)

• Tengo un amigo viejo.

  I have an old friend. (a friend I've known for a long time)

• Vi a un hombre viejo en el parque.

  I saw an old man in the park. (elderly)