Spanish adjectives bring color and depth to your language, helping you describe the world around you with precision and style. This guide walks you through the essential types and their usage.
Descriptive Adjectives (Adjetivos Descriptivos)
These are the most common adjectives you’ll use, describing physical and abstract qualities. They must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify:
- alto/alta/altos/altas (tall)
- rojo/roja/rojos/rojas (red)
- feliz/felices (happy – note this only changes for number)
Demonstrative Adjectives (Adjetivos Demostrativos)
These point out specific people or things, indicating their position relative to the speaker:
- este/esta/estos/estas (this/these)
- ese/esa/esos/esas (that/those – medium distance)
- aquel/aquella/aquellos/aquellas (that/those – far distance)
Possessive Adjectives (Adjetivos Posesivos)
These show ownership or possession. They come in two forms:
Short form (before the noun):
- mi/mis (my)
- tu/tus (your)
- su/sus (his/her/their/your formal)
Long form (after the noun):
- mío/mía/míos/mías (my)
- tuyo/tuya/tuyos/tuyas (your)
- suyo/suya/suyos/suyas (his/her/their/your formal)
Indefinite Adjectives (Adjetivos Indefinidos)
These describe nouns in a general or non-specific way:
- algún/alguna/algunos/algunas (some)
- ningún/ninguna (none)
- varios/varias (several)
- mucho/mucha/muchos/muchas (many)
Variable vs. Invariable Adjectives
Variable Adjectives
These change their ending to match the gender and number of the noun:
- bonito (handsome) → bonita (beautiful) → bonitos/bonitas (beautiful – plural)
- pequeño (small-masculine) → pequeña (small-feminine) → pequeños/pequeñas (small – plural)
Invariable Adjectives
These maintain the same form regardless of gender or number:
- inteligente (intelligent) → Los chicos inteligentes/Las chicas inteligentes
- difícil (difficult) → El examen difícil/Las preguntas difíciles
- azul (blue) → El coche azul/Las casas azules (only changes for number)
Special Cases and Exceptions
Shortened Forms
Some adjectives have special shortened forms when they appear before masculine singular nouns:
- bueno → buen (un buen hombre)
- malo → mal (un mal día)
- primero → primer (el primer libro)
- tercero → tercer (el tercer piso)
Position Rules
While most Spanish adjectives come after the noun, some can be placed before for emphasis or when they’re inherent qualities:
- un coche rojo (a red car – neutral description)
- una bella mujer (a beautiful woman – more poetic/emphatic)
- un viejo amigo (an old friend – long-time friend)
- un amigo viejo (an elderly friend – age description)
Conclusion
Understanding Spanish adjectives is key to expressing yourself precisely and naturally in Spanish. By mastering these different types and their usage patterns, you’ll be able to describe people, places, things, and situations with accuracy and style. Remember that while most adjectives follow standard patterns, some special cases and exceptions exist. The rich variety of Spanish adjectives allows you to add nuance and depth to your expressions, making your Spanish more colorful and precise.