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🇪🇸 Spanish🅰️ Agreement & Position

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Agreement & Position

Spanish adjectives follow two main rules:agreementandposition. Agreement means the adjective must match the noun’s gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Position refers to where the adjective is placed in the sentence—either before or after the noun—and this can affect the meaning.

Gender Agreement

Adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the noun (masculine or feminine).
  • Masculine nouns usually end in-o; feminine nouns usually end in-a.
  • The adjective takes a masculine ending for masculine nouns and a feminine ending for feminine nouns.
  • Example:amigo alto(tall male friend),amiga alta(tall female friend).

Number Agreement

Adjectives also change to match the number of the noun (singular or plural).
  • Add-sto the adjective if the noun is plural.
  • For nouns (and adjectives) ending in a vowel, simply add-s.
  • For those ending in a consonant, add-es.
  • Example:libro rojo(red book),libros rojos(red books).

Adjective Placement

Most adjectives comeafterthe noun, but some are placedbeforethe noun.

Adjectives After the Noun

  • This is thedefaultposition for most descriptive adjectives.
  • Example:casa blanca(white house),niños inteligentes(smart children).
  • It emphasizes the literal meaning of the adjective.

Adjectives Before the Noun

  • Common for certain adjectives likegrande,bueno,malo,pequeño,viejo,nuevo,primer,último.
  • Can indicate a moresubjectiveorfigurativemeaning.
  • Example:gran hombre(great man) vs.hombre grande(big man).
  • Also used forquantitativeadjectives (e.g.,mucho,poco,varios).

Changes in Meaning

  • Placement can change the meaning of some adjectives.
  • Example:un viejo amigo(an old longtime friend) vs.un amigo viejo(an old-aged friend).
  • Example:una gran ciudad(a great city) vs.una ciudad grande(a large city).

Summary

  • Adjectives must agree ingenderandnumberwith the noun.
  • Most adjectives are placedafterthe noun.
  • Some adjectives, especially those indicating quantity or emphasizing a figurative meaning, comebeforethe noun.
  • Word order can subtly change the meaning of the adjective.

Examples

That’s the basics of agreement and position for Spanish adjectives. You’re ready to describe nouns with properly matched and well-placed adjectives!

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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025