Spanish Adjectives: Agreement, Position and Comparisons
In English, adjectives never change: “a tall boy,” “tall girls.” In Spanish, they match the noun they describe, and they usually come after it. Once you know the four forms, the position rule, and a handful of comparisons, you can describe almost anything.
Quick answer
- Adjectives match the noun in gender and number: una casa blanca, unos zapatos blancos
- Descriptive adjectives usually go after the noun: un perro grande
- Compare with más... que and tan... como: más alto que yo, tan alto como yo
Matching gender and number
Many adjectives have four forms: masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural, and feminine plural. Adjectives that end in -e or in most consonants have only two: singular and plural, such as interesante / interesantes, fácil / fáciles, and azul / azules.
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | el chico alto | la chica alta |
| Plural | los chicos altos | las chicas altas |
Examples
- Mis amigas son simpáticas.My friends are nice.Feminine plural.
- La película es interesante.The movie is interesting.Ends in -e: same for both genders.
- Los exámenes son fáciles.The exams are easy.Plural of fácil: fáciles.
- Ana y Luis son muy simpáticos.Ana and Luis are very nice.A mixed group uses the masculine plural.
Nationalities that end in a consonant add -a for the feminine: español / española, inglés / inglesa, alemán / alemana. Nationalities that end in -o, like mexicano, change to -a as usual.
Where the adjective goes
Descriptive adjectives (color, size, shape, nationality) usually go after the noun. Adjectives of quantity, such as mucho, poco, tres, otro, go before it.
Examples
- Tengo un perro grande.I have a big dog.Size: after the noun.
- Mi tía vive en una casa blanca.My aunt lives in a white house.Color: after the noun.
- Hay muchos estudiantes mexicanos.There are many Mexican students.Quantity before, nationality after.
Buen, mal, gran, and primer
A few adjectives shorten before a masculine singular noun. Grande becomes gran before any singular noun, and then it means “great” rather than “big.”
| Full form | Shortened | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bueno | buen | un buen amigo |
| malo | mal | un mal día |
| grande | gran | una gran idea |
| primero | primer | el primer día |
Examples
- Es un buen restaurante.It is a good restaurant.Buen before a masculine noun.
- Tuve un mal día.I had a bad day.Mal before a masculine noun.
- Es una gran ciudad.It is a great city.Gran: great.
- Es una ciudad grande.It is a big city.Grande after the noun: big.
With a feminine noun, bueno and malo keep their full form: una buena amiga, una mala noticia.
Position can change the meaning
A few adjectives mean something different before and after the noun. Before the noun they often describe a quality you feel. After the noun they are literal.
| Before the noun | After the noun |
|---|---|
| un viejo amigo (a longtime friend) | un amigo viejo (an elderly friend) |
| una gran casa (a great house) | una casa grande (a big house) |
| un pobre hombre (an unfortunate man) | un hombre pobre (a man with little money) |
Comparing with más, menos, and tan
To say “more than” or “less than,” use más or menos plus the adjective plus que. For “as… as,” use tan plus the adjective plus como. After que and como, use subject pronouns: más alto que yo.
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| más + adjective + que | Mi hermano es más alto que yo. | My brother is taller than I am. |
| menos + adjective + que | Este coche es menos caro que ese. | This car is less expensive than that one. |
| tan + adjective + como | Ella es tan alta como su hermana. | She is as tall as her sister. |
Examples
- Hoy hace más frío que ayer.It is colder today than yesterday.Comparing two days.
- Esta tienda es tan cara como la otra.This store is as expensive as the other one.An equal comparison.
Mejor, peor, mayor, and menor
Four adjectives have their own comparative forms. Do not say más bueno or más malo to compare quality. Mayor and menor are about age. For size, use más grande and más pequeño.
| Adjective | Comparative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bueno | mejor | Esta pizza es mejor que la otra. |
| malo | peor | El tráfico hoy está peor que ayer. |
| viejo / grande (age) | mayor | Mi hermana mayor vive en Monterrey. |
| joven / pequeño (age) | menor | Mi hermano menor tiene diez años. |
For “the most” or “the best,” put el, la, los, or las before the comparative and finish with de: la ciudad más grande de México, la mejor opción.
Spanish around the world
- The word for “car” changes: coche (Spain, Mexico, and elsewhere), carro (Colombia, Central America, the Caribbean, and elsewhere), auto (Argentina, Chile, and elsewhere). The adjective rules do not change.
Common mistakes
Incorrect: Las casas son blanco.
Correct: Las casas son blancas.
The adjective must match casas: feminine and plural.
Incorrect: Tengo un rojo coche.
Correct: Tengo un coche rojo.
Color adjectives go after the noun.
Incorrect: Esta pizza es más buena que la otra.
Correct: Esta pizza es mejor que la otra.
Use mejor, not más bueno, to compare quality.
Incorrect: Mi ciudad es más grande de la tuya.
Correct: Mi ciudad es más grande que la tuya.
Comparisons use que, not de.
Four rules to keep
- The adjective matches the noun in gender and number.
- Descriptive adjectives usually go after the noun. Quantity words go before.
- Buen, mal, gran shorten before a singular noun.
- Compare with más... que and tan... como. Use mejor and peor for good and bad.
Mini practice
5 quick questions. You get feedback right after each answer.
Frequently asked questions
Does grande change for feminine?
No. Grande has one form for masculine and feminine: un coche grande, una casa grande. The plural is grandes.
Why do some adjectives go before the noun?
Adjectives of quantity (mucho, poco, tres, otro) and a few common ones (buen, mal, gran) usually go before. Descriptive adjectives usually go after.
What is the plural of joven?
Jóvenes. The accent mark appears in the plural to keep the stress on the same syllable.
How do I say ‘the best’ and ‘the worst’?
Use el, la, los, or las before mejor or peor: la mejor opción (the best option), el peor día (the worst day).
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