100+ Most Widespread Spanish Adjectives (And Find out how to Use Them!)

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Are you accustomed to the phrase bueno? What about buenos, buena, and buenas?

Many newbie Spanish audio system are accustomed to these adjectives—every of them means “good”—however could not know the distinction between them. On this publish, we’ll take a deeper take a look at Spanish adjectives that can assist you higher describe nouns—folks, locations, issues, and concepts—and provides pizzazz to your writing and talking.

Beneath, try our checklist of over 100 adjectives that may allow you to boost your communication. Plus, you’ll additionally study placement and adjective settlement in Spanish, so you should use adjectives accurately each time. 

With Rosetta Stone, you may grasp Spanish adjectives and extra with an immersive methodology that helps you study in a pure manner with out heavy memorization. Test it out right here!

Essentially the most generally used Spanish adjectives

Listed below are some lists of often used adjectives in Spanish grouped by class, with their English which means. You’ll discover out the small print of tips on how to use these adjectives on the finish of those lists. You’ll want to take a look at our Fundamental Spanish Phrases and Phrases for Each Dialog, so you can begin having actual conversations now!

Spanish adjectives to explain an individual (bodily attributes)

Spanish adjectives to explain an individual (non-physical attributes)

Spanish adjectives to explain objects and locations

Colours in Spanish

Nationalities in Spanish

Adjectives of goodness

Adjectives of amount

Common guidelines: Find out how to use Spanish adjectives accurately

Utilizing adjectives for the primary time in dialog or writing? There are two key guidelines you’ll want to recollect to make use of them the proper manner. These guidelines apply to the overwhelming majority of adjectives you’ll encounter! Let’s dive in so you can begin utilizing them very quickly.

1. Place adjectives earlier than nouns

In contrast to English, most adjectives in Spanish go after the noun. If we’re speaking about a lovely man, we’d say:

• un hombre guapo = a good-looking man

There are a number of exceptions to this rule, however for now simply keep in mind to put the adjective after the factor you’re describing.

2. Change the ending to match noun gender and quantity

In Spanish, all nouns are gendered (masculine/female), which suggests the elements of speech that modify them—each adjectives and articles—are sometimes altered to agree with that gender. Adjectives and articles should additionally agree in quantity (singular/plural). 

Let’s check out the examples under: 

• un hombre guapo = a good-looking man 
• unas mujeres guapas = fairly girls 

See how every part matches? Hombre, which is a masculine noun, is modified by guapo, an adjective in masculine, singular type. Mujeres, which is a female noun, is modified by guapas, an adjective in female, plural type. 

Most adjectives will finish in o for his or her masculine type and a for his or her female type:

• un gato divertido = a enjoyable male cat
• una gata divertida = a enjoyable feminine cat

Be aware: Adjectives will normally be listed in a dictionary with solely the masculine type or with their female variant listed second (divertido, da). 

Understanding the exceptions: Find out how to use Spanish adjectives accurately 

As with all language guidelines, there are exceptions. We’ll break them down by adjective sort. 

Utilizing nationalities as adjectives

Adjectives for nationalities are usually not capitalized in Spanish. For these ending in a consonant, you add the a for the female type:

• un niño japonés = a Japanese boy
• una niña japonesa = a Japanese woman

Discover that within the female type it has no accent.

Utilizing adjectives that finish in -or, -ón, -án, and -ín…

For adjectives that finish in -or, -ón, -án, or -ín, additionally add an a and drop the accent if the masculine type has one:

• un hombre trabajador = a hardworking man
• una mujer trabajadora = a Japanese woman
• un hombre gruñón = a grumpy man
• una mujer gruñona = a grumpy girl 

Utilizing adjectives with unchangeable endings

Some adjectives have endings that don’t change. These are those that don’t finish in o or a, and they’re the identical for masculine or female singular nouns:

• un hombre inteligente = an clever man
• una mujer inteligente = an clever girl

Utilizing bueno and malo

There are two generally used masculine adjectives—bueno and malo—that drop the o once they’re earlier than a masculine singular noun, for instance:

• un buen muchacho = a superb younger man
• un mal hombre = a foul man

These adjectives may also comply with the noun, as in es un muchacho bueno (he is an efficient younger man). Be warned, although, that it’s not frequent to say it this fashion, and it’s far much less impactful.

Utilizing adjectives of amount

The adjectives of amount typically go earlier than the noun.

• Tengo mucho dinero. = I’ve some huge cash.
• Es otro problema. = It’s one other drawback.

Utilizing adjectives with the verb ser

As in English, adjectives can comply with the verb “to be”—ser. Nonetheless, they need to agree in quantity and gender:

• María es interesante. = Maria is attention-grabbing.
• Javier y Edgar son interesantes. = Javier and Edgar are attention-grabbing.

Utilizing adjectives with definitive articles

In some circumstances, adjectives can operate as nouns when paired with a definitive article, which embody el, la, lo, los, and las.

• la bella = the attractive one; the attractive girl
• el flaco = the thin one; the thin man
• la roja = the purple one (female noun)
• el verde = the inexperienced one (masculine noun)

Mastering Spanish adjectives and past with Rosetta Stone

To recap, adjectives in Spanish normally come earlier than the phrase they modify, they usually should match the noun they’re describing in gender and quantity. However Rosetta Stone can do much more than offer you lists! It might probably allow you to study and use adjectives in context like a local. Strive Rosetta Stone Tales for follow and learn to pronounce adjectives accurately with TruAccent, the place you’ll get instantaneous suggestions in your pronunciation. Begin your language journey now!

Written by Rowena Galavitz

Rowena Galavitz is a Spanish translator, bilingual copy editor, and language and literature teacher with three grasp’s levels who loves Spanish and all issues Mexico.