The Ultimate Guide to Spanish Adjectives: Agreement and Placement Rules
Spanish adjectives are essential for describing people, places, and things, but they come with two important rules that can be tricky for beginners: agreement and placement. Unlike in English, where adjectives stay the same, Spanish adjectives must change to match the noun they describe.
This guide will break down these rules, making it easy for you to use adjectives correctly and sound more like a native speaker.
Part 1: Adjective Agreement (Gender and Number)
This is the most crucial rule to learn. A Spanish adjective must always "agree" with the noun it modifies in both gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
Rule 1: Adjectives Ending in -o
These are the most common adjectives in Spanish and are the easiest to change. They have four forms:
Masculine Singular: Ends in -o (e.g., bonito - pretty)
El libro bonito (The pretty book)
Feminine Singular: Ends in -a (e.g., bonita)
La casa bonita (The pretty house)
Masculine Plural: Ends in -os (e.g., bonitos)
Los libros bonitos (The pretty books)
Feminine Plural: Ends in -as (e.g., bonitas)
Las casas bonitas (The pretty houses)
Rule 2: Adjectives Ending in -e, -ista, or a Consonant
For these adjectives, the gender doesn't change, which makes things simpler.
Same for Both Genders: Adjectives ending in -e (like grande - big) or -ista (like optimista - optimistic) use the same form for both masculine and feminine nouns.
El coche grande (The big car)
La mesa grande (The big table)
Plural Form: To make them plural, simply add -s if they end in a vowel, and -es if they end in a consonant.
Los coches grandes (The big cars)
Las casas grandes (The big houses)
El hombre joven (The young man)
Los hombres jóvenes (The young men)
Rule 3: The "Mixed-Gender Group" Rule
When an adjective is describing a group that includes both masculine and feminine nouns, the masculine plural form is always used.
El chico y la chica son guapos. (The boy and the girl are handsome.)
Part 2: Adjective Placement (Before or After the Noun)
In English, adjectives almost always come before the noun ("a red car"). In Spanish, the rule is generally the opposite.
The General Rule: Adjectives Go AFTER the Noun
Most descriptive adjectives—especially those for color, size, shape, or nationality—are placed directly after the noun. This is the default placement and the safest option for beginners.
La camisa roja (The red shirt)
El perro grande (The big dog)
Las personas alemanas (The German people)
Exceptions: When Adjectives Go BEFORE the Noun
While it's less common, some adjectives are placed before the noun. This often happens to add emphasis or change the meaning.
Adjectives of Quantity: These always go before the noun.
Dos libros (Two books)
Muchos amigos (Many friends)
Subjective or Emotional Adjectives: Adjectives that describe a quality that's already well known or a subjective opinion are sometimes placed before the noun to add emphasis or a poetic tone.
El valiente soldado (The brave soldier - a known quality)
La blanca nieve (The white snow - a known quality)
Important: Adjectives That Change Meaning
Some common adjectives change their meaning depending on whether they are placed before or after the noun. This is an advanced rule but a good one to be aware of.
Grande (Big/Great)
Una casa grande (A big house - literal size)
Un gran hombre (A great man - impressive quality)
Viejo (Old/Former)
Una casa vieja (An old, aged house - literal age)
Un viejo amigo (A long-time friend - subjective and emotional)
Putting It All Together
To use Spanish adjectives correctly, you should:
Identify the noun you want to describe.
Determine its gender and number.
Choose the correct adjective form that agrees with the noun.
Place the adjective after the noun (unless it's a number or a special case).
Mastering these rules will help you build stronger sentences and communicate more clearly in Spanish.