Spanish Grammar - Adjectives

Beginning Spanish: A basic course in the Spanish language

In the Spanish language, adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in both gender (male or female) and quantity (singular or plural).

Adjectives that modify singular nouns:

For adjectives that end in o, change the o to an a to make it agree with a feminine noun. No change is necessary if the noun is masculine.

Examples:

     Alberto es honesto. (Alberto is honest.)
     Rosa es honesta.   (Rosa is honest.)
     El auto es largo.   (The car is long.)
     La mesa es larga.   (The table is long.)

If the adjective ends with e or with a consonant, it will remain unchanged regardless of the gender of the noun.

Examples:

     Alicia es muy inteligente. (Alicia is very smart.)
     Juan es inteligente. (Juan is smart.)
     La ejercicio es fácil.   (The exercise is easy.)

Adjectives that modify plural nouns:

To form the plural form of a Spanish adjective, if it ends in a vowel, simply add an s. If it ends in a consonant, add es.

Examples:

     El libro es popular.   (The book is popular.)
     Los libros son populares.   (The books are popular.)

     Ana es importante.   (Ana is important.)
     Ana y Al son importantes. (Ana and Al are important.)

Position of Spanish adjectives in a sentence:

A descriptive adjective usually follows the noun that it describes.

Examples:

     Isabel es una chica linda. (Isabel is a pretty little girl.)
     Jorge es un hombre grande. (Jorge is a big man.)

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