Spanish with Tati
  • Home
  • Verbs
  • Vocabulary
  • Conversations
  • Downloadables
  • Contact me

Select Page

Spanish Adjective Agreement: A Complete Guide

An adjective is a word that describes a noun. 

In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify. How?

Let’s learn!

Table of Contents

  • Adjective Agreement
    • Adjective Gender
    • Adjective Number
  • Adjectives After Nouns
  • Adjectives Before Nouns
  • Gran vs Grande

Adjective Agreement

In Spanish, adjectives must agree in gender and number with what they describe.

adjective agreement in spanish
DOWNLOAD PDF

If the object you want to describe is plural and masculine, for example, the adjective you use must be plural and masculine, too.

• el perro negro
• la perra negra

• los gatos blancos
• las gatas blancas

To describe two singular nouns joined by the word “and”, use a plural adjective.

• el perro y el gato negros

• la perra y la gata negras

To describe masculine and feminine nouns at the same time, use a masculine adjective.

• Esa camisa y ese pantalón son muy caros.

The word camisa is feminine, and the word pantalón is masculine. That’s why the masculine adjective caros is used to describe them.

How are masculine and feminine adjectives formed? Let’s learn!

For a list of common Spanish adjectives visit the post called Spanish Adjectives for Physical Appearance and Personality. 

Adjective Gender

Adjectives are words that help us describe objects, people, places, etc.

In Spanish, there are masculine and feminine adjectives. However, you will most likely see only the masculine form of adjectives in dictionaries.

If a masculine adjective ends in -o, change that -o for an -a to make it feminine.

spanish adjective gender
DOWNLOAD PDF

Let’s see some examples!

• guapo ➝ guapa

• italiano ➝ italiana

• largo ➝ larga

If an adjective ends in -or or a stressed vowel (the vowel where you put the strength of your voice) + -n, add an -a to make it feminine.

• hablador ➝ habladora

• catalán ➝ catalana

• llorón ➝ llorona

A few adjectives can be used to describe both, masculine and feminine nouns. These are some.

• lila (purple)

• azul (blue)

• verde (green)

• naranja (orange)

• marrón (brown)

• gris (gray)

• hipócrita (hypocritical)

• amable (kind)

• fuerte (strong)

• pobre (poor)

• pacifista (pacifist)

• socialista (socialist)

• joven (young)

• feliz (happy)

Now you know how to form masculine and feminine adjectives. 

But how about making them singular or plural? Let’s see!

Adjective Number

Form plural adjectives the same way you form plural nouns in Spanish.

spanish adjective number rules
DOWNLOAD PDF

If a singular adjective ends in vowel, simply add -s to make it plural.

• guapo ➝ guapos

• italiana ➝ italianas

• verde ➝ verdes

If a singular adjective ends in consonant, simply add -es.

• marrón ➝ marrones

• azul ➝ azules

• joven ➝ jóvenes

Be careful with the consonant -z! If a singular adjective ends in -z, eliminate it and add -ces instead. 

• feliz ➝ felices

• feroz ➝ feroces

• sagaz ➝ sagaces

Adjectives After Nouns

In Spanish, adjectives can be placed before or after the noun they describe.

Place Spanish adjectives after the object they describe to distinguish it from other objects.

• ¿Prefieres el apartamento grande or la casa pequeña? 

• Do you prefer the big apartment or the small house?

Some adjectives can only be placed after nouns. Those are the ones that express color, shape and origin.

• Color: azul, amarillo, negro, blanco, lila, etc.

• Shape: redondo, cuadrado, alargado, recto, ovalado, rectangular, etc.

• Origin: italiano, americano, internacional, etc.

Adjectives Before Nouns

Place adjectives before nouns to highlight the qualities of an object. Some adjectives that can be used before nouns are the following.

• largo (long)

• corto (short)

• frío (cold)

• caliente (hot)

• pequeño (small)

• gran (big)

• buen (good)

• mal (bad)

• rápido (fast)

• lento (slow)

• claro (light)

• oscuro (dark)

• viejo (old)

• joven (young)

Adjectives that indicate order are usually placed before nouns.

• Él fue su primer esposo. 
• He was her first husband.

• Dame una segunda oportunidad.
• Give me a second chance.

Gran vs Grande

The adjectives grande (big), bueno (good), malo (bad), primero (first) and tercero (third) change when they are placed before singular nouns. Look!

• una gran casa 

• un buen libro 

• un mal día 

• el primer capítulo 

• el tercer piso

Bueno, malo, primero, and tercero only change when they are used with singular nouns that are masculine. 

Think this is neat? Share it with your friends!

Share:

PreviousSpanish Pronunciation Rules: A Pronunciation Guide
NextSpanish Adjectives for Physical Appearance and Personality

Related Posts

Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish: Me, Te, Le, Nos, Les

Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish: Me, Te, Le, Nos, Les

February 12, 2021

Definite and Indefinite Articles in Spanish (+ Free PDF)

Definite and Indefinite Articles in Spanish (+ Free PDF)

October 9, 2020

Question Words in Spanish: Explanations and Practice

Question Words in Spanish: Explanations and Practice

November 17, 2021

When to Use the Spanish Accent Mark or Tilde (+ Free PDF)

When to Use the Spanish Accent Mark or Tilde (+ Free PDF)

August 23, 2020

Quick Links

Home

Sitemap

Spanish with Tati

About me

Contact me

Futher Information

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Please, check your mail to confirm subscription.

Subscribe

Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved

Pin It on Pinterest

Shares