Adjectives in Spanish : complete course

What Is an Adjective in Spanish?

An adjective is a word that describes or gives more information about a noun. In Spanish, adjectives work a little differently from English. They usually come after the noun, and they must match the noun in gender and number. Understanding adjectives is one of the first steps to speaking Spanish correctly.

• un libro interesante — an interesting book
• una casa grande — a big house
• unos amigos simpáticos — some nice friends

Key Elements of Spanish Adjectives

Spanish adjectives follow specific rules. Let’s look at the most important ones.

1. Agreement in Gender

In Spanish, nouns are either masculine or feminine. The adjective must match the gender of the noun it describes.

Most adjectives that end in -o become -a in the feminine form. Easy rule to remember!

2. Agreement in Number

Adjectives must also match whether the noun is singular or plural.

To make an adjective plural, just add -s if it ends in a vowel, or -es if it ends in a consonant.

3. Position of the Adjective

In Spanish, adjectives usually come after the noun. This is the opposite of English, where adjectives come before the noun.

• English: a red car → Spanish: un coche rojo
• English: a tall woman → Spanish: una mujer alta
• English: a good idea → Spanish: una idea buena

Some common adjectives like bueno (good), malo (bad), and grande (big/great) can also appear before the noun, sometimes with a different meaning. But for now, placing them after the noun is always safe!

Why Spanish Adjectives Matter

You might wonder: why spend time learning adjective rules? Here is the answer — adjectives help you express yourself clearly. Without them, your Spanish will sound very basic. With them, you can describe people, places, objects, and feelings in a much richer way.

Imagine you want to describe your city. Without adjectives: ‘Es una ciudad.’ (It is a city.) With adjectives: ‘Es una ciudad moderna y animada.’ (It is a modern and lively city.) See the difference?

Getting adjective agreement right also helps you sound more natural and confident to native speakers.

Comparison With Other Languages

If you speak English or French, here is a quick comparison to help you understand Spanish adjectives better.

If you already speak French, good news — Spanish adjective rules are very similar! If your first language is English, the position and agreement rules will need a little practice, but they become natural quickly.

A Complete Example

Let’s put everything together with a short description.

‘Tengo un gato pequeño y negro. Es un animal tranquilo e inteligente. Vive en una casa grande y bonita.’

Translation: ‘I have a small, black cat. He is a calm and intelligent animal. He lives in a big, pretty house.’

• gato pequeño y negro → masculine singular adjectives matching a masculine noun
• animal tranquilo e inteligente → masculine singular adjectives
• casa grande y bonita → feminine singular adjectives matching a feminine noun

Key Takeaways

• Adjectives in Spanish describe nouns and must agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
• Most adjectives come after the noun in Spanish.
• Masculine adjectives ending in -o change to -a in the feminine form.
• Add -s or -es to make an adjective plural.
• Practice with simple sentences — describing things around you is a great way to start!

Spanish adjectives may seem like a lot of rules at first, but with regular practice they will feel completely natural. Start small, use them every day, and you will improve quickly.

Sources

• Real Academia Española (RAE) — Nueva gramática de la lengua española, 2009.
• Butt, J. and Benjamin, C. — A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish, 5th edition, Routledge, 2011.
• Penny, R. — A History of the Spanish Language, Cambridge University Press, 2002.