Adjectives in Spanish - Spanish with el pana Julio

Table of Contents

In the Spanish language, adjectives play a crucial role in describing nouns. However, there are unique rules in Spanish that distinguish them from English. One of the most notable differences is that adjectives in Spanish typically follow the noun they describe, whereas in English, they precede the noun. Additionally, adjectives in Spanish need to agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify.

Let’s delve into these rules with examples to grasp a better understanding:

Singular adjectives in Spanish

Masculine

Adjectives ending in “-o” are masculine and agree with masculine nouns.

El hombre hermoso	The beautiful man
El dedo roto	The broken finger
El perro perezoso	The lazy dog
EL niño bajo	The short boy
El hombre blanco	The white man

Feminine

In the case of feminine adjectives, they end in “-a” and must agree with feminine nouns.

La mujer hermosa	The beautiful woman
La cabeza rota	The broken head
La perra perezosa	The lazy dog
La niña baja	The short girl
La mujer blanca	The white woman

Adjectives used for both genders

Adjectives that do not end in “-o” are used to describe both genders, masculine and feminine. It does not matter which letter the adjective ends in, as long as it is not “-o.”

Masculine

El plátano verde	Green banana
El carro azul	The blue car
El idioma fácil	The easy language
The gray book	El libro gris

Femenine

La casa verde	The green house
La carreta azul	The blue Wagon
La tarea fácil	The easy task
La materia gris	The gray matter

Plural Adjectives in Spanish

When forming plural adjectives in Spanish, the rule is simple:

If an adjective ends in a vowel, add “-s.”
If it ends in a consonant, add “-es.”

Masculine

Los hombres hermosos	The beautiful men
Los dedos rotos	The broken fingers
Los perros perezosos	The lazy dogs
Los niños bajos	The short boys
Los hombres blancos	The white men
Los idiomas difíciles	The difficult languages

Feminine

Las mujeres hermosas	The beautiful women
Las cabezas rotas	The broken heads
Las perras perezosas	The lazy dogs
Las niñas bajas	The short girls
Las mujeres blancas	The white women
Las lenguas difíciles	The difficult languages

Conclusions

A common mistake among English speakers learning Spanish is failing to account for the gender and number agreement of adjectives. It’s essential to remember that adjectives change when used with masculine or feminine nouns. Review the rules and examples provided to avoid common mistakes, such as saying “yo soy un hombre hermosa” instead of “yo soy un hombre hermoso.”