Adjetivo
From Latin adiectivus, from adicere (to add)
The adjetivo (adjective) is the word that accompanies a sustantivo (noun) to qualify it (say a quality or characteristic) or determine it (point it out exactly).
Examples
- Libro verde ("green book")
- Libro pequeño ("small book")
- Libro viejo ("old book")
These adjectives that accompany the noun libro ("book") have the job of specifying its characteristics. Once you add an adjective, you are no longer talking about just any libro, but specifically about a libro verde ("green book"), or a libro pequeño ("small book"), or a libro viejo ("old book").
A noun can be modified by one or several adjectives.
Example
Es un tema interesante, claro y actual. ("It's an interesting, clear, and current topic.")
Unlike English, where the adjective almost always comes before the noun ("green book"), in Spanish the adjetivo can appear before or after the noun it accompanies.
Example
Pequeño río - río pequeño. ("Small river — river that is small.")
Some adjectives always go before the noun.
Examples
Rara vez ("rarely"), mala suerte ("bad luck"), otro día ("another day").
Others always go after the noun.
Examples
Deuda externa ("foreign debt"), pista segura ("safe track"), planta baja ("ground floor").
Accidentes gramaticales of the adjetivo
Accidentes gramaticales are the variations an adjective can take. The Spanish adjetivo has five of them.
1. Género (Gender)
A Spanish adjetivo can be feminine or masculine, and it must agree with the noun it accompanies. If the noun is masculine, the adjective is masculine; if the noun is feminine, the adjective is feminine. This is very different from English, where adjectives never change form.
Examples
- Niño bonito — niña bonita ("cute boy / cute girl")
- Vecino atento — vecina atenta ("attentive neighbor — male / female")
Masculine adjectives often end in -o, and feminine ones in -a.
Examples
- Feo / fea ("ugly")
- Interesado / interesada ("interested")
- amarillo / amarilla ("yellow")
Some masculine adjectives do not end in -o. In that case the feminine is formed by adding -a.
Examples
- Traidor / traidora ("traitorous")
- alemán / alemana ("German")
- saltarín / saltarina ("jumpy, restless")
Exception
Some adjectives do not change with gender.
- Hombre hipócrita — Mujer hipócrita ("hypocritical man / woman")
- Empleado importante — Empleada importante ("important employee")
- Niño analfabeta — Niña analfabeta ("illiterate boy / girl")
- Cazador audaz — Cazadora audaz ("bold hunter")
- Gato feliz — Gata feliz ("happy cat")
- Director joven — Directora joven ("young director")
2. Número (Number)
An adjetivo can only be singular or plural, and it always agrees in number with the noun.
Examples
- Árbol seco — árboles secos ("dry tree / dry trees").
- Estrella luminosa — estrellas luminosas ("bright star / bright stars").
If the adjective refers to several singular nouns, it goes in the plural.
Examples
- El león y el tigre son feroces. ("The lion and the tiger are ferocious.")
- Papá y mamá son bondadosos. ("Dad and Mom are kind.")
When it accompanies both masculine and feminine nouns, the adjective goes in the masculine plural.
Examples
- Niños y niñas aplicados. ("Diligent boys and girls.")
- Camisa y pantalón sucios. ("Dirty shirt and pants.")
To form the plural, you usually add -s to the singular adjective.
Examples
- Rojo / rojos ("red").
- Brillante / brillantes ("bright, brilliant").
- Sucia / sucias ("dirty", feminine).
- Lindo / lindos ("pretty, nice").
When the singular adjective ends in a consonant, add -es to form the plural.
Examples
- Azul / azules ("blue").
- Útil / útiles ("useful").
- Mejor / mejores ("better").
Adjectives ending in -z form the plural with -ces.
Examples
- Feroz / feroces ("ferocious"); Audaz / audaces ("bold").
- Feliz / felices ("happy"); Capaz / capaces ("capable").
3. Persona (Person)
Persona tells us whether the word refers to the one speaking, the one listening, or the person or thing being spoken about. Some adjectives change depending on the person.
The three grammatical persons are:
- First person (primera persona): the speaker.
- Second person (segunda persona): the listener.
- Third person (tercera persona): the person or thing being talked about.
Examples
- 1st person: mi, mío, mis, nuestro, nuestros, nuestras...
- 2nd person: tu, tus, tuyos, sus, vuestros (de UDS.)...
- 3rd person: su, suyo, suya, suyos...
4. Grados del adjetivo (Degrees of the adjective)
These are the three ways an adjective can express the intensity of a quality: positivo (positive), comparativo (comparative), and superlativo (superlative).
Examples
| Sentence | Adjective | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| El camino es largo. ("The road is long.") | largo | Positivo |
| Es más largo que aquél. ("It is longer than that one.") | largo | Comparativo |
| El camino es larguísimo. ("The road is very long.") | largo | Superlativo |
i. Grado positivo
Simply expresses a quality of the noun.
Examples
- Nube blanca ("white cloud")
- buena cosecha ("good harvest")
- ojos grandes ("big eyes")
- mala compañía ("bad company")
ii. Grado comparativo
Compares the quality of the noun. It can express a relation of equality, inferiority, or superiority. It is formed using specific words. Example with the adjective guapo ("handsome"):
Examples
- Equality (igualdad): el chico es tan guapo como su padre. ("as ... as")
- Inferiority (inferioridad): el chico es menos guapo que su padre. ("less ... than")
- Superiority (superioridad): el chico es más guapo que su padre. ("more ... than")
iii. Grado superlativo
Expresses the quality at its highest intensity. There are two kinds: superlativo absoluto and superlativo relativo.
Superlativo absoluto
The absoluto superlative describes a quality on its own, without comparing to others. It is formed by placing muy before the adjective or by adding the suffix -ísimo to the adjective.
Examples
- Alicia es muy alta. ("Alicia is very tall.")
- Ese libro es muy bueno. ("That book is very good.")
- Él es altísimo. ("He is extremely tall.")
- Ese paisaje es hermosísimo. ("That landscape is extremely beautiful.")
Superlativo relativo
The relativo superlative compares a thing with others in a group. It is formed with más and de.
Examples
- Ella es la más alta de la clase. ("She is the tallest in the class.")
- El de Mérida es el teleférico más largo del mundo. ("The one in Mérida is the longest cable car in the world.")
Adjectives ending in -ble form their superlative in -bilísimo.
- Amable ("kind") / amabilísimo ("extremely kind")
- Adorable ("adorable") / adorabilísimo ("extremely adorable")
Note
Some adjectives have irregular comparatives and superlatives:
| Positivo | Comparativo | Superlativo |
|---|---|---|
| Bueno ("good") | mejor ("better") | óptimo ("best") |
| Malo ("bad") | peor ("worse") | pésimo ("worst") |
| Pequeño ("small") | menor ("smaller, younger") | mínimo ("smallest") |
| Grande ("big") | mayor ("bigger, older") | máximo ("biggest") |
5. Aumentativos, diminutivos y despectivos
Adjectives can take special endings to form aumentativos (augmentatives), diminutivos (diminutives), and despectivos (pejoratives). The endings are the same as those used for nouns.
i. Aumentativos (Augmentatives)
These express a larger size or greater intensity. The most common endings are -ón, -ona, -azo, -aza, -ote, -ota.
Examples
- Grande ("big") → grandulón, grandulona ("big and awkward, hulking").
- Bueno ("good") → buenazo, buenaza ("very good, kind-hearted").
- Viejo ("old") → viejote, viejota ("rather old").
ii. Diminutivos (Diminutives)
These express smaller size or intensity, and are sometimes used to show affection. Common endings: -ito, -ita, -illo, -illa, -ico, -ica, -ín, -ina.
Examples
- flaquito, flaquita ("nice and thin")
- cariñosillo, cariñosilla ("a little affectionate")
- buenecico, buenecica ("really nice")
- pequeñín, pequeñina ("tiny")
iii. Despectivos (Pejoratives)
Called this because they express contempt toward the person, animal, or thing being talked about. Common endings: -ón, -oide, -ucho, -ucha.
Examples
- solterón ("old bachelor")
- sentimentaloide ("mushy, overly sentimental")
- humanoide ("humanoid")
- viejucho ("nasty old thing")
- flacucha ("skinny, in a bad way")
Note
Some adjectives are formed by derivation — adding a suffix to a verb or noun. Common suffixes: -ble, -ido, -ida, -ico, -ica, -oso, -osa, -ado, -ada, -al.
- Comparable (from comparar — "to compare")
- Separable (from separar — "to separate")
- Teñido (from teñir — "to dye")
- Dolida (from dolor — "pain")
- Mágico (from magia — "magic")
- Tramposo (from trampa — "trap")
- Amorosa (from amor — "love")
- Golpeado (from golpe — "blow")
- Soleada (from sol — "sun")
- Artístico (from arte — "art")
- Colegial (from colegio — "school")
- Estomacal (from estómago — "stomach")
Compound adjectives (adjetivos compuestos) are formed from two or more words.
Examples
- Boquiabierto ("open-mouthed")
- sordomudo ("deaf-mute")
- sinvergüenza ("shameless")
- malasangre ("bad-tempered")
- pelirrojo ("red-haired")
Types of adjetivos
1. Adjetivos calificativos (Qualifying adjectives)
These add characteristics or qualities to the noun.
Examples
- Niño bueno. ("Good boy.")
- Árbol grande. ("Big tree.")
- Hombre gordo. ("Fat man.")
- Linda muñeca. ("Pretty doll.")
- Curso fácil. ("Easy course.")
- La casa es muy hermosa. ("The house is very beautiful.")
- El carro azul es el de Juan. ("The blue car is Juan's.")
- Él es muy ingenioso. ("He is very clever.")
2. Adjetivos determinativos (Determining adjectives)
These limit or specify the noun, giving an idea of location, possession, quantity, etc.
The determinativos are:
- Demostrativos (demonstrative)
- Posesivos (possessive)
- Indefinidos (indefinite)
- Numerales (numerical)
- Interrogativos (interrogative)
a) Demostrativos
These show whether the noun is near or far from the speaker. They always agree in gender and number with the noun.
Examples
- Estos pupitres. ("These desks.")
- Aquella moto. ("That motorcycle over there.")
- Ese lápiz. ("That pencil.")
- Este edificio. ("This building.")
- El muchacho aquel es mi primo. ("That boy over there is my cousin.")
The demonstrative adjectives are:
ESTE, ESTA, ESTOS, ESTAS are used for beings or things close in time and space to the speaker. (Closest to English "this/these".)
Examples
| Sentence | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Este año ganaré la lotería. | "This year I'll win the lottery." | (time) |
| Esta fruta tiene un sabor ácido. | "This fruit has a sour taste." | (space) |
| Me gustan estas flores. | "I like these flowers." | (space) |
| Estos días he amanecido feliz. | "These days I've woken up happy." | (time) |
ESE, ESA, ESOS, ESAS point to things or people close to the listener. (English has no direct equivalent — something like "that one near you".)
Examples
| Sentence | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ese papel es bueno para dibujar. | "That paper is good for drawing." | (space) |
| Esa mujer es extraña. | "That woman is strange." | (space) |
| Esos días fueron oscuros. | "Those days were dark." | (time) |
| Esas noches fueron felices. | "Those nights were happy." | (time) |
AQUEL, AQUELLA, AQUELLOS, AQUELLAS say that the person or thing is far from both speaker and listener. (Closest to English "that/those over there".)
Examples
| Sentence | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Aquel año sufrió mucho. | "That year [long ago] he suffered a lot." | (distant in time) |
| Aquella niña lleva un vestido verde. | "That girl over there is wearing a green dress." | (distant in space) |
| Los hombres aquellos son espías. | "Those men over there are spies." | (distant in space) |
| Aquellas horas fueron de angustia. | "Those hours [long ago] were full of anguish." | (distant in time) |
b) Posesivos (Possessive adjectives)
These show that a being or thing belongs to someone or something. They appear in two forms:
i. Full form
In the full form they usually come after the noun.
Examples
- Esos libros míos están bien cuidados. ("Those books of mine are well taken care of.")
- Los papeles tuyos están sobre la mesa. ("Your papers are on the table.")
- Los triunfos suyos no lo dejan dormir. ("His/her victories don't let him/her sleep.")
Exceptions
Sometimes the possessive comes before the noun:
- Nuestras deudas están pagadas. ("Our debts are paid.")
Here it works as a determiner (like el, la, los).
The possessive adjectives are:
- Masculine singular: MÍO, TUYO, SUYO, NUESTRO, VUESTRO (de UDS.), SUYO.
- Masculine plural: MÍOS, TUYOS, SUYOS, NUESTROS, VUESTROS (de UDS.), SUYOS.
- Feminine singular: MÍA, TUYA, SUYA, NUESTRA, VUESTRA (de UDS.), SUYA.
- Feminine plural: MÍAS, TUYAS, SUYAS, NUESTRAS, VUESTRAS (de UDS.), SUYAS.
Examples
| Sentence | Translation | Person |
|---|---|---|
| Presentaré el cuadro mío. | "I'll present my painting." | (1st person) |
| Ese perro tuyo ladra mucho. | "That dog of yours barks a lot." | (2nd person) |
| La tía suya es muy simpática. | "His/her aunt is very nice." | (3rd person) |
| Pintaron nuestras casas. | "They painted our houses." | (1st person plural) |
| Vuestros niños son hermosos. | "Your children are beautiful." | (2nd person plural) |
| Los asuntos suyos son importantes. | "Their matters are important." | (3rd person plural) |
ii. Shortened (apocopada) form
In the apocopada form they go before the noun.
Apocope (apócope):1 A shortened form of a word, produced by dropping the ending. For example, gran is the apócope of grande. The forms are:
Examples
| Short form | Replaces | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI | MÍO / MÍA | Mi casa es grande. | "My house is big." |
| TU | TUYO / TUYA | Tu carro es azul. | "Your car is blue." |
| SU | SUYO / SUYA | Su jardín es bello. | "His/her garden is beautiful." |
| MIS | MÍOS / MÍAS | Mis libros están bien cuidados. | "My books are well looked after." |
| TUS | TUYOS / TUYAS | Tus papeles están arrugados. | "Your papers are wrinkled." |
| SUS | SUYOS / SUYAS | Sus triunfos no lo dejan dormir. | "His/her victories don't let him sleep." |
c) Indefinidos (Indefinite adjectives)
These accompany the noun to give it a sense of vagueness or indefinite quantity. Most of them change in gender and number. Examples: OTRO, OTRA, OTROS, OTRAS, TODO, CIERTO, CIERTA, DIVERSOS, DIVERSAS, ALGUNO, ALGUNA, NINGUNO, NINGUNA, POCOS, POCAS, UNO, UNAS, DEMASIADO...
Examples
- Vi otra película. ("I saw another movie.")
- Algunos amigos no creen eso. ("Some friends don't believe that.")
- Cierta persona me dijo que te casaste. ("A certain person told me you got married.")
- Todos los chicos vinieron. ("All the boys came.")
d) Numerales (Numerical adjectives)
These add a precise sense of quantity or order to the noun. They are divided into cardinales, ordinales, múltiplos, and partitivos.
i. Cardinales
Express an exact quantity.
Examples
- Conté ocho pulgas. ("I counted eight fleas.")
- Ha ganado cinco veces. ("He has won five times.")
- Quiere vivir más de noventa años. ("He wants to live more than ninety years.")
ii. Ordinales
Express the order of the people, animals, or things named.
Examples
- Él ocupa el segundo lugar en la clase. ("He is second in the class.")
- Vivo en el quinto piso. ("I live on the fifth floor.")
- Es el décimoquinto aniversario. ("It's the fifteenth anniversary.")
- Logró ver el último juego del campeonato. ("He managed to see the last game of the championship.")
Note
The ordinals primero ("first") and tercero ("third") are often shortened to primer and tercer when they come before a masculine noun.
- Gané el primer premio. ("I won first prize.")
- Das vuelta en el tercer semáforo. ("You turn at the third traffic light.")
iii. Múltiplos
Express multiplication of the noun; usually used for small quantities.
Examples
- Quiero doble ración de helado. ("I want a double serving of ice cream.")
- Dio una voltereta triple. ("She did a triple somersault.")
iv. Partitivos
Express division of a quantity into parts.
Examples
- Me tocó una tercera parte de la herencia. ("I got a third of the inheritance.")
- Estás a medio camino. ("You're halfway there.")
- Compró media patilla. ("She bought half a watermelon.")
- Tres cuartas partes de los llamados asistieron. ("Three quarters of those called attended.")
e) Interrogativos (Interrogative adjectives)
Used in questions and exclamations. They always go before the noun and carry an acento (written accent).
Examples
- ¿Cuál tren tiene dormitorio? ("Which train has a sleeper car?")
- ¿Qué películas te gustan? ("What movies do you like?")
- ¿Cuánto dinero ganaste? ("How much money did you earn?")
- ¡Cuánta gente llegó! ("How many people showed up!")
- ¡Qué alegría siente él! ("How much joy he feels!")
- ¡Qué cosa tan grande! ("What a big thing!")
Note
Interrogative adjectives also appear in indirect questions, which have no question marks but keep the sense of a question.
- No sé qué cosa quiere. ("I don't know what he wants.")
- Quería saber cuáles animales le gustan más. ("She wanted to know which animals he likes best.")
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Etymology: From Greek apokope ("amputation"), from apokopto ("I cut off, shorten").