Adjective Placement

Adjectives (los adjetivos) are words that modify nouns. In other words, they provide complementary or descriptive information about a subject or object. Some adjectives also have the function of becoming adverbs.

Types of Adjectives

In Spanish, there are different types of adjectives that provide different information.

Qualifying Adjectives (Adjetivos Calificativos)

Rule 1. This type of adjective has the function of describing the characteristics (physical or abstract) of the subject. In a person, this can be height, complexion, personality, etc. Only qualifying adjectives admit degrees: positive degree, comparative degree, and superlative degree.

Relational Adjectives (Adjetivos relacionales)

Rule 2. This type of adjective indicates a relationship between the adjective and the noun to which it refers.

Possessive Adjectives (los Adjetivos Posesivos)

Rule 3. Possessive adjectives, also called possessive determiners, tell us to whom something belongs.

Demonstrative Adjectives (los demostrativos)

Rule 4. Demonstratives are used to identify a person, animal, or thing by indicating its distance from the speaker. Este is used when the thing is near the speaker, ese is used when the thing is near the person being spoken to, and aquel is used when it is far away from both of them.

Numerals (Adjetivos Numerales)

Rule 5. These are a type of determinative adjectives that indicate the quantity of something.

Adjective placement

Rule 1. Adjectives such as numerals, possessive adjectives, and demonstratives are generally placed before the noun they modify.

Rule 2. In Spanish, qualifying adjectives are generally placed after the noun they modify.