Let's face it: life is boring without adjectives. Adjectives make our language more exciting, and one of the fun parts of learning Spanish is discovering how to spice up your conversation with new adjectives.
But how exactly do adjectives work in Spanish?
Whether you're a new Spanish speaker or someone looking to travel to a Spanish-speaking country soon, the following list of guidelines can help you get started using Spanish adjectives like a native. We've also included a list of Spanish adjectives you can use to expand your vocabulary and practice making your conversations a little more… descriptive.
Review: what's an adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes a noun — a person, place, thing, or concept. Adjectives help us understand more about the world around us. An adjective might describe:
Quality (big, small, honest, rich)
Number (one, two, many, few)
Location (this, that)
Possession (my, his, yours)
Group or origin (American, Medieval)
Spanish adjectives accomplish the same functions as English adjectives, though the two languages have different grammar rules on how to change and place adjectives in a sentence.
Spanish adjectives change based on gender and number
If you're a little familiar with Spanish, you may remember that Spanish nouns can have feminine or masculine genders. When you learn a new noun in Spanish, be sure to learn the gender as well because this will help you form the right Spanish adjectives.
A Spanish adjective can have up to four endings, with a different ending for each combination of gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).
If you learn a new Spanish adjective, chances are that you'll learn the singular, masculine form of the adjective. But this is just one of the possible adjective forms you can use.
Let's consider the example "rojo," which means "red." The different possible endings are:
Case
Ending
Example
Singular, Masculine
-o
el coche rojo
the red car
Singular, Feminine
-a
la casa roja
the red house
Plural, Masculine
-os
los libros rojos
the red books
Plural, Feminine
-as
Las sillas rojas
the red chairs
Sometimes, an adjective ending doesn't change with gender.
In the example "azul" ("blue"), there are only two possible endings:
Case
Example
Singular, Masculine
el cielo azul
the blue sky
Singular, Feminine
la mesa azul
the blue table
Plural, Masculine
los sombreros azules
the blue hats
Plural, Feminine
las flores azules
the blue flowers
If the adjective ends in -e or a consonant, then there are usually only two endings, singular and plural. These adjectives will be specially marked throughout the rest of this article.
How do you know which Spanish adjective ending to use?
The adjective ending in Spanish always depends on the noun it modifies. If the noun is masculine and singular, use the masculine, singular ending (usually –o). If the noun is plural and feminine, then use the plural, feminine ending (usually –las).
When using adjectives to describe a person, use the gender that the person identifies with. Note that there are some words for people that take on fixed grammatical genders, no matter how the person identifies in real life. The adjectives for these words should follow the gender of the noun. Here are a few common examples:
La persona (person)
Mi hermano es una persona honesta.
My brother is an honest person.
Here, "persona" is a feminine noun that refers to any person, regardless of biological or expressed gender. Still, the adjective needs to match the grammatical gender.
La gente (group of people)
Hay mucha gente en el restaurante.
There are a lot of people in the restaurant.
This example is particularly strange. "Gente" is a single feminine noun, even though it refers to many people that can be all men, all women, or a complete mix.
El ser (being)
Mi madre es un ser humano.
My mother is a human being.
A "being" in Spanish only has one grammatical gender, irrespective of the actual gender of the being in question.
Capitalizing Spanish adjectives
In Spanish, all adjectives are spelled with lowercase letters unless they start a sentence. Even adjectives that come from proper nouns like "Spanish" (español) or "Mexican" (mexicano) are always spelled with lowercase letters.
Possessive adjectives in Spanish
For the possessive determiners my, your, his, her, its, and their, the adjective is the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine. But you do need to remember to take the singular and plural forms into account.
mi casa
my house
mis libros
my books
tu abrigo
your coat
tus sillas
your chairs
Su dinero
his/her/its/your (formal)/their money
Sus chaquetas
his/her/its/your (formal)/their jackets
For our, the possessive adjective changes based on gender as well as number:
nuestro hogar
our home
nuestra mesa
our table
nuestros vinos
our wines
nuestras cervezas
our beers
For possessive pronouns that come after the noun, change the adjective ending based on gender and number as you usually would.
The possessive pronouns in Spanish are:
mío
mine
tuyo
yours (informal)
suyo
his/hers/yours (formal)
nuestro
ours
suyo
theirs
El libro es mío.
The book is mine.
¿Esas gafas son tuyas?
Are those eyeglasses yours?
Using Spanish adjectives with "ser" and "estar"
A simple way to connect adjectives with nouns is to use the verbs for "to be," which are "ser" and "estar."
El coche es negro.
The car is black.
La niña está triste.
The girl is sad.
Remember to use the right singular/plural form of "ser" or "estar" to match the noun.
Las sillas son rojas.
The chairs are red.
Los hombres son honestos.
The men are honest.
When to use "ser" or "estar" with a Spanish adjective
Though "ser" and "estar" both translate to "to be" in English, they have slightly different meanings. When it comes to adjectives, here is when you should use "ser" and "estar."
When to use "ser" with Spanish adjectives
Here are a few rules of thumb on when to use "ser" with an adjective in Spanish:
Origin
Los dulces son mexicanos.
The sweets are Mexican.
Nationality
Mi amigo es español.
My friend is Spanish.
Religious or political association
Los niños son budistas.
The children are Buddhist.
Material
La estatua es dorada.
The statue is golden.
Possession
La mesa es mía.
The table is mine.
Other essential or permanent qualities
Ella es inteligente.
She is intelligent.
Seven Spanish adjectives that are always used with "ser"
simpático
kind
importante
important
famoso
famous
posible
possible
común
common
suficiente
sufficient/enough
capaz
capable
When to use "estar" with Spanish adjectives
Below are the cases when you should use "estar" with a Spanish adjective instead:
Emotions
El niño está contento.
The boy is happy.
Temporary conditions
Yo estoy enfermo.
I am sick.
Location or position
La casa está cerca.
The house is nearby.
Seven Spanish adjectives that are always used with "estar"
bien
well
mal
wrong
preocupado
worried
enfermo
sick
enojado
upset
contento
pleased/content
satisfecho
satisfied
Adjectives that change meaning with "ser" and "estar"
There are a few adjectives in Spanish that have different meanings depending on whether you use "ser" or "estar." Here are the most common examples:
Listo
ser listo
to be clever
estar listo
to be ready/prepared
Bueno
ser bueno
to be good
estar bueno
to be attractive
Malo
ser malo
to be bad/evil
estar malo
to be spoiled (for eating)
Rico
ser rico
to be rich
estar rico
to be tasty
Seguro
ser seguro
to be safe
estar seguro
to be sure/certain
Orgulloso
ser orgulloso
to be a proud person
estar orgulloso
to be proud (of someone/something)
Verde
ser verde
to be green (color)
estar verde
to be unripe or immature
Where do you put the adjective in Spanish?
If you don't want to use a Spanish adjective with "ser" or "estar," you can add the adjective next to the noun. Whether you place the adjective after or before the noun depends on the adjective and the situation.
After the noun
Most of the time, an adjective in Spanish should come after the noun it modifies.
la lámpara roja
the red lamp
los niños simpáticos
the nice children
Before the noun
When using adjectives that indicate quantities or differences, the adjective comes before the noun.
dos ciudades
two cities
mucha lluvia
a lot of rain
poca comida
not a lot of food
muchos aviones
many airplanes
pocas personas
few people
Changes in adjective meaning before or after the noun
There are a few Spanish adjectives that change meaning depending on whether they're before or after the noun. Here are some of the most common ones:
Viejo
mi viejo amigo
my long-time friend
mi amigo viejo
my elderly friend
Nuevo
tu nueva casa
your newly bought house
tu casa nueva
your newly built house
Gran/grande
una gran ciudad
a great city
Una ciudad grande
a big city
Alto
alta cocina
high-class cuisine
Una persona alta
a tall person
Pobre
el pobre hombre
the unfortunate man
el hombre pobre
the poor man
Único
la única pintura
the only painting
la pintura única
the unique painting
Solo
una sola silla
one single chair
una mujer sola
a lonely woman
Distinto
distintos colores
various colors
colores distintos
distinct colors
Puro
pura felicidad
nothing but happiness
almas puras
pure souls
Raro
un raro objeto
a rare object
un objeto rare
an unusual object
Triste
la triste historia
the tragic history
un niño triste
a sad boy
Multiple Spanish adjectives
To describe something with several adjectives, you can list them as you would in English. Just remember to make sure that the adjective endings agree with the gender and number of the noun.
la casa vieja y cara
the big, expensive house
los libros rojos, pequeños e interesantes
the small, red, interesting books
Common Spanish adjectives
Colors
rojo
red
ROH-ho
rosado
pink/rose
roh-SAH-doh
anaranjado
orange
ah-nah-rahn-HAH-do
amarillo
yellow/amber
ah-mah-REE-yo
verde*
green
VER-deh
azul*
blue
ah-SOOL
morado
purple
mo-RAH-doh
violeta*
violet
vee-oh-LE-ta
blanco
white
BLAHN-co
negro
black
NEH-gro
marron*
brown
mah-RROHN
gris*
gray
GREES
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Physical characteristics (People)
alto
tall
AHL-toh
bajo
short (height)
BAH-ho
gordo
fat
GORE-doh
flaco
skinny
FLAH-co
delgado
slim
dell-GAH-doh
joven*
young
HO-ven
biejo
old
vee-EH-ho
atractivo
attractive
ah-track-TEE-vo
bello
beautiful
BEH-yo
guapo
handsome/beautiful
goo-AH-poh
bonito
pretty
boh-NEE-toh
feo
ugly
FEH-oh
rubio
blond
ROO-bee-oh
pelirrojo
redhead
peh-lee-ROH-ho
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Physical characteristics (Things)
largo
long
LAR-go
corto
short (length)
CORE-toh
ancho
wide
AHN-choh
estrecho
narrow
ess-TRAY-choh
pequeño
small
peh-KAY-nyoh
grande*
big
GRAHN-de
cercano
nearby
ser-CAH-no
lejano
far away
lay-HAH-no
limpio
clean
LEEM-pee-oh
sucio
dirty
SOO-see-oh
lleno
full
YEH-no
vacío
empty
vah-SEE-oh
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Character traits
inteligente
intelligent
een-teh-lee-HEN-teh
feliz
happy
FEH-lees
sabio
wise
SAH-bee-oh
prudente
prudent
proo-DEN-teh
responsable
responsible
res-pon-SAH-bleh
quieto
quiet/calm
kee-EH-toh
animado
excitable/animated
ah-nee-MAH-doh
extraño
strange
ex-TRAH-nyoh
ambicioso
ambitious
ahm-bee-see-OH-so
perezoso
lazy
peh-reh-SO-so
capaz
capable
kah-PAHS
competente
competent
com-peh-TEN-teh
honesto
honest
oh-NES-toh
maduro
mature
mah-DOO-roh
caprichoso
whimsical
ca-pree-CHOH-so
Travel and living
(habitación) doble*
doble (room)
DOH-bleh
(habitación) individual*
single (room)
een-dee-vee-doo-AHL
semanal*
weekly
seh-mah-NAL
mensual*
monthly
men-soo-AHL
anual*
annual
ah-noo-AHL
completo
complete
com-pleh-toh
cansado
tired
cahn-SAH-doh
dormido
asleep
dor-MEE-doh
despierto
awake
des-pee-AIR-toh
temprano
early
tem-PRAH-no
tarde*
late
TAR-deh
retrasado
delayed
reh-trah-SAH-doh
turístico
touristic
too-REES-tee-co
local*
local
loh-CAL
extranjero
foreign
ex-trahn-HEH-roh
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Family and relationships
soltero
single
sol-TEH-roh
casado
married
cah-SAH-doh
divorciado
divorced
dee-vor-see-AH-doh
mayor*
older (person)
mah-YOR
menor*
younger (person)
meh-NOR
embarazada
pregnant
em-bah-rah-SAH-dah
enamorado
in love
en-ah-mo-RAH-do
fiel*
faithful
fee-EL
infiel*
unfaithful
een-fee-EL
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Food and drink
delicioso
delicious
deh-lee-see-OH-so
fino
fine
FEE-no
sabroso
tasty/delicious
sah-BROH-so
alérgico
allergic
ah-LER-hee-coh
vegetariano
vegetarian
veh-heh-tah-ree-AH-no
vegano
vegan
veh-GAH-no
kosher*
kosher
KOH-sher
halal*
halal
hah-LAL
(vino) tinto
red (wine)
TEEN-toh
(vino) blanco
white (wine)
BLAHN-coh
emborrachado
drunk
em-boh-rah-CHA-doh
saludable*
healthy
sa-loo-DAH-bleh
picante*
spicy
pee-CAHN-teh
dulce*
sweet
DOOL-seh
amargo
bitter
ah-MAHR-go
salado
salty
sah-LAH-doh
agrio
sour
AH-gree-oh
frito
fried
FREE-toh
hervido
boiled
ehr-VEE-doh
asado
roasted/grilled
ah-SAH-do
horneado
baked
ohr-neh-AH-doh
cocido
cooked/stewed
co-SEE-doh
blando
soft
BLAHN-doh
duro
hard
DOO-ro
pasteurizado
pasteurized
pas-te-oo-ree-SAH-doh
crudo
raw
CROO-doh
tostado
toasted
tos-TAH-doh
mixto
mixed
MEEKS-toh
surtido
assorted
soor-TEE-doh
endulzado
sweetened
en-dool-SAHL-doh
herbal*
herbal
ehr-BAL
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Featured courses in Language Learning
Shopping
abierto
open
ah-bee-EHR-toh
cerrado
closed
seh-RAH-doh
caro
expensive
CAH-roh
barato
cheap
bah-RAH-toh
disponible*
available
dees-poh-NEE-bleh
confirmado
confirmed
con-feer-MAH-doh
moderno
modern
mo-DER-no
tradicional*
traditional
trah-dee-see-oh-NAL
reducido
discounted/reduced
reh-doo-SEE-do
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Art, architecture, and music
artístico
artistic
ahr-TEES-tee-coh
musical*
musical
moo-see-CAHL
arquitectónico
architectural
ahr-kee-tec-TOH-nee-coh
religioso
religious
reh-lee-hee-OH-so
secular*
secular
seh-coo-LAR
antiguo
ancient
an-TEE-goo-oh
clásico
classical
CLAH-see-coh
medieval*
medieval
meh-dee-eh-VAL
barroco
baroque
bah-ROH-coh
romántico
romantic
roh-MAN-tee-coh
moderno
modern
moh-DER-no
contemporáneo
contemporary
con-tem-poh-RAH-neh-oh
postmoderno
post-modern
post-moh-DER-no
dorado
golden/gilded
doh-RAH-do
conocido
known
coh-no-SEE-do
desconocido
unknown
des-coh-no-SEE-do
famoso
famous
fah-MOH-so
popular*
popular
po-poo-LAR
intenso
intense
in-TEN-so
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Weather
caliente*
hot
cah-lee-EN-teh
frío
cold
FREE-oh
soleado
sunny
so-leh-AH-doh
despejado
clear
des-peh-HAH-doh
nublado
cloudy
noo-BLAH-do
mojado
wet
moh-HAH-do
seco
dry
SEH-coh
húmedo
humid
OO-meh-doh
cálido
warm/mild
CAH-lee-doh
lluvioso
rainy
yoo-vee-OH-so
norteño
northern
nor-TEH-nyo
meridional*
southern
meh-ree-dee-oh-NAL
oriental*
eastern
oh-ree-en-TAL
occidental*
western
ox-ee-den-TAL
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Religions
agnóstico
agnostic
ag-NOS-tee-coh
ateísta*
atheist
ah-teh-EES-ta
budista*
Buddhist
boo-DEES-ta
católico
Catholic
cah-TOH-lee-coh
confuciano
Confucian
con-foo-see-AH-no
cristiano
Christian
crees-tee-AH-no
hinduista*
Hinduist
een-doo-EES-ta
islámico
Islamic
ees-LAH-mee-coh
judío
Jewish
hoo-DEE-oh
protestante*
Protestant
pro-tes-TAHN-teh
sije*
Sikh
SEE-heh
taoísta
Taoist
ta-oh-EES-ta
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
Regions and nationalities
africano
African
ah-free-CAH-no
asiático
Asian
ah-see-AH-tee-coh
europeo
European
eh-oo-roh-PEH-oh
norteamericano
North American
nor-teh-ah-meh-ree-CAH-no
sudamericano
South American
sood-ah-meh-ree-CAH-no
afgano
Afghan
af-GAH-no
alemán**
German
ah-leh-MAHN
argentino
Argentinian
ar-hen-TEE-no
australiano
Australian
aus-trah-lee-AH-no
austríaco
Austrian
aus-TREE-ah-coh
boliviano
Bolivian
bo-lee-vee-AH-no
brasileño
Brazilian
brah-see-LEH-nyo
canadiense*
Canadian
cah-nah-dee-EHN-seh
checo
Czech
CHEH-coh
chileno
Chilean
chee-LEH-no
chino
Chinese
CHEE-no
colombiano
Colombian
Coh-lohm-bee-AH-no
coreano
Korean
coh-reh-AH-no
costarricense*
Costa Rican
cos-tah-ree-SEN-seh
croato
Croatian
croh-AH-toh
cubano
Cuban
coo-BAH-no
dominicano
Dominican
doh-mee-nee-CAH-no
ecuatoriano
Ecuadorean
eh-qua-toh-ree-AH-no
estadounidense*
(USA) American
es-tah-doh-oo-nee-DEN-seh
español**
Spanish
es-pah-NYOL
francés**
French
frahn-SEHS
griego
Greek
gree-EH-go
guatemalteco
Guatemalan
goo-ah-teh-mahl-TEH-coh
hondureño
Honduran
ohn-doo-RE-nyo
indio
Indian
EEN-dee-oh
inglés**
English/British
een-GLEHS
iraní*
Iranian
ee-rah-NEE
iraquí*
Iraqi
ee-rah-KEE
irlandés**
Irish
eer-lahn-DES
italiano
Italian
ee-tah-lee-AH-no
holandés**
Dutch
oh-lahn-DES
japonés**
Japanese
hah-poh-NES
marroquí*
Moroccan
mah-ro-KEE
nicaragüense*
Nicaraguan
nee-cah-ra-goo-EHN-se
noruego
Norwegian
no-roo-EH-go
pakistaní*
Pakistani
pa-kees-tah-NEE
panameño
Panamanian
pah-nah-MEH-nyo
paraguayo
Paraguayan
pah-rah-goo-EYE-oh
peruano
Peruvian
peh-roo-AH-no
polaco
Polish
poh-LAH-coh
portugués**
Portuguese
por-too-GUESS
puertorriqueño
Puerto Rican
poo-ehr-toh-ree-KEH-nyo
ruso
Russian
ROO-so
salvadoreño
Salvadorean
sal-vah-doh-REH-nyo
sudafricano
South African
sood-ah-free-CAH-no
sueco
Swedish
soo-EH-coh
tailandés**
Thai
thai-lan-DES
turco
Turkish
TOOR-coh
ucraniano
Ukranian
oo-crah-nee-AH-no
uruguayo
Uruguayan
oo-roo-goo-EYE-oh
venezolano
Venezuelan
veh-neh-so-LAH-no
*These adjectives don't change between masculine and feminine nouns.
**Add -a to these adjectives for the feminine forms. For example, española and inglesa.
Interested in learning more Spanish?
Check out our guide on ways to learn Spanish to continue your language learning journey. Udemy has a variety of Spanish language courses – from beginner to advanced – that will help you achieve your language learning goals in no time.
0 Response to "How To Clean Nee Doh Ball"
Post a Comment