5. Adjectives
Adjectives are used to describe a noun. In Spanish, most adjectives change, agreeing with the noun in number and gender, which means they can be masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
When descriptive adjectives end in -o, their feminine form ends in -a, and the plural adds the -s.
EXAMPLES:
el chico educado – the polite boy
los chicos educados – the polite boys (and girls)
la chica educada – the polite girl
las chicas educadas – the polite girls
In most cases when adjectives in Spanish end in -e or in a consonant, they don’t change in gender, only in number.
EXAMPLES:
el chico inteligente – the intelligent boy
los chicos inteligentes – the intelligent boys (and girls)
la chica inteligente – the intelligent girl
las chicas inteligentes – the intelligent girls
un profesor joven – a young (male) teacher
unos profesores jóvenes – some young teachers
una profesora joven – a young (female) teacher
unas profesoras jóvenes – some young (female) teachers
However, there are some adjectives ending in a consonant whose feminine forms do change, typically those ending in -dor, -tor,-ín, -ón, -án: hablador – habladora, galán – galana, etc.
Whereas in English adjectives precede the noun they describe, in Spanish it is usually the opposite, i.e. the adjective is placed after the noun it refers to.
EXAMPLES:
Mi profesora de inglés es una mujer alta.
My English teacher is a tall woman.
Llegaron en una furgoneta azul.
They arrived in a blue van.
Exceptions to this rule of placement are when talking about:
- Limiting adjectives referring to amount: Hago menos ejercicio que ella. I do less exercise than her.
- Inherent, essential quality: La blanca nieve anuncia la Navidad. The white snow announces Christmas.
- Opinionated, emotional attachment: Maria es mi vieja vecina – Maria is my long-time neighbour, whereas Maria es mi vecina vieja would mean Maria is my elderly neighbour.