Spanish Adjectives: Agreement and Position
How Spanish adjectives change to match nouns, where they usually sit and how position can change meaning.
Spanish adjectives agree with nouns in gender and number, and they usually follow the noun.
Agreement
Adjectives ending in -o have four forms:
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | blanco | blanca |
| Plural | blancos | blancas |
- el coche blanco, the white car
- las casas blancas, the white houses
Adjectives with one form
Adjectives ending in -e or most consonants have the same form for masculine and feminine, and only change for number:
- un libro interesante, una película interesante
- un coche azul, una casa azul
Plurals: interesantes, azules.
Nationality
Adjectives of nationality that end in a consonant add -a for the feminine:
- español → española
- inglés → inglesa
- alemán → alemana
They are not capitalised in Spanish.
Position
Descriptive adjectives usually go after the noun:
- una casa grande
- un día soleado
Adjectives of quantity go before: muchos libros, pocas personas.
Position changes meaning
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| un gran hombre (a great man) | un hombre grande (a big man) |
| un viejo amigo (a long-time friend) | un amigo viejo (an elderly friend) |
| pobre hombre (poor, unfortunate man) | hombre pobre (a man without money) |
Short forms
Some adjectives shorten before a masculine singular noun:
- bueno → buen: un buen día
- malo → mal: un mal día
- grande → gran: un gran amigo
Tips
- Match gender and number.
- Place most adjectives after the noun.
- Use the dictionary to check forms.
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