2. Spanish Adjectives: Formation and Placement

This is the second of a 6 part series on Adjectives.

1. Intro to Spanish Adjectives: Agreement & Placement
2. Formation and Placement
3. Comparisons and Superlatives
4. Past Participles
5. Todo
6. Indefinite Adjective

If you’ve ever felt confused about Spanish adjectives—when to use them, how they match nouns, or why they sometimes flip places—trust me, you’re not alone. When I started learning Spanish, I kept mixing up the word order and gender endings. Over time, though, I realized that adjectives can feel quite logical once you know the basics. Let's dive in step by step.

What Are Adjectives?

Adjectives describe or give more information about a noun (person, place, thing, or idea). In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the noun in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This agreement might initially sound tricky, but you’ll see patterns everywhere with some practice.

Formation and Agreement

Adjectives That End in -o

• Masculine singular: -o
• Feminine singular: -a
• Masculine plural: -os
• Feminine plural: -as

Examples

• El libro caro (The expensive book)
• La comida cara (The expensive meal)
• Los libros caros (The expensive books)
• Las comidas caras (The expensive meals)

It might feel odd if you’re used to English, where “expensive” never changes. But in Spanish, notice how the adjective matches the noun every time.

Adjectives That End in -e or a Consonant

When an adjective ends in -e or a consonant, the form stays the same for masculine and feminine. However, the plural changes as follows:

• If it ends in a vowel (like -e), add -s for the plural.
• If it ends in a consonant, add -es for the plural.

Examples

• El chico amable / La chica amable (a nice boy / a nice girl)
• Los chicos amables / Las chicas amables (nice boys / nice girls)
• El niño joven / La niña joven (a young boy / a young girl)
• Los niños jóvenes / Las niñas jóvenes (young boys / young girls)

Placement of Adjectives

  flowchart TB
    A["Start writing a Spanish sentence"]
    --> B{"Adjective Type?"}
    B -- Indefinite (alguno, ninguna, cada) or Number (uno, dos, primero, etc.) --> C["Place BEFORE the noun"]
    B -- All other adjectives --> D["Place AFTER the noun"]
    C --> E["Example: 'primer libro', 'algún proyecto'"]
    D --> F["Example: 'proyecto interesante', 'tarea difícil'"]

After the Noun

In most Spanish sentences, the adjective goes after the noun:

Estamos trabajando en un proyecto interesante.
(We are working on an interesting project.)

Before the Noun

Some adjectives usually appear before the noun, especially:

• Indefinite adjectives (like alguno, ninguna, cada)
• Numbers (1, 2, 3... or first, second, third...)

Examples

• Compré algunos animales. (I bought some animals.)
• No hay ninguna estación de servicio. (There isn’t a single gas station.)
• El segundo niño fue Roberto. (The second child was Roberto.)

Meaning Changes

Certain adjectives can change meaning depending on their placement. Check out this table:

Examples in context

• Debido al alto volumen de inmigración...
  (Because of the high volume of immigration...)
• No es muy alto.
  (He isn’t very tall.)

Notice how alto changes from “high” (before the noun) to “tall” (after the noun).

Practice Exercises

Try out these exercises to get comfortable with Spanish adjectives. The answers follow each exercise so you can check your work.

Exercise A: Choose the Correct Form

Pick the right form of the adjective for each sentence:

1. (caro) Es un coche ___.
2. (joven) Mis primas son muy ___.
3. (amable) Mi vecino es muy ___.
4. (amable) Todas las maestras son muy ___.
5. (joven) El profesor es ___.

Exercise B: Place the Adjective Correctly

Rearrange the words to form a sentence that sounds natural in Spanish.

1. compré / interesante / un / libro
2. mesa / puse / grande / la / en / caja
3. animales / algunos / rescaté
4. segundo / el / examen / fue / difícil

Exercise C: Explain the Meaning Difference

Write your own short explanation (in English or Spanish) about how meaning changes when the adjective is placed before or after the noun.

1. pobre hombre vs. hombre pobre
2. única oportunidad vs. oportunidad única

AI Prompts for Additional Practice

1. You are a Grammar Coach. My goal is to master Spanish Adjective Agreement. Please give me a concise explanation of how adjectives change for gender and number. Then, provide a quick exercise with four sentences where I must choose the correct form of each adjective. Finally, share the correct answers in a way that’s easy to understand. [Open in ChatGPT]
2. You are a Vocabulary Builder. I want to improve my word choice and Place Adjectives Correctly in Spanish. Give me a short list of useful adjectives (both those ending in -o/-a and those ending in -e or a consonant). Then show two example sentences illustrating each adjective’s position (before and after the noun). Keep it simple and clear. [Open in ChatGPT]
3. You are a Culture Guide. Help me Recognize Meaning Shifts in Spanish adjectives by showing how their placement can alter meaning. Use two to three real-world examples (brief anecdotes or situations) from Spanish-speaking cultures. Then offer one practice scenario where I decide which adjective placement is best, and explain why. [Open in ChatGPT]

Wrap-Up

Spanish adjectives might feel challenging at first, especially if you’re used to English word order. But as soon as you get comfortable placing them before or after the noun—and remember the difference in meaning that might cause—you’ll discover they bring a lot of color to your Spanish. Keep practicing, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll be describing everything around you in Spanish in no time!

Take me to the next lesson: Spanish Adjectives: Comparisons and Superlatives

Attribution:
Adapted from Spanish in Texas – Adjectives: Formation and Placement under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.