Agreement of Spanish Adjectives

Adjectives can describe the properties of a noun in more detail. In Spanish, they usually come after the noun and must be grammatically aligned with it.

An adjective must be aligned with respect to its genus, or gender (masculine or feminine) and with respect to its numerus, or number (singular or plural).

Adjective Alignment

Most Spanish adjectives end in their natural masculine form in -o. If the noun is plural, an -s is added.

If the noun is feminine, the adjective usually ends in -a, or in the plural in -as.

When an adjective is used for feminine and masculine nouns together, it is put in its masculine plural form.

Adjectives with Neutral Endings

There are also adjectives in Spanish that have alternative endings such as on -e. In these, an -s is added only in the plural, otherwise they keep their natural form.

Other common adjectives end in consonants, such as -ón, -ín, -és. In these, an -a is added for feminine nouns and an -es or -esa in the plural.

Prefixed Adjectives

There are a few common Spanish adjectives that can be placed before the noun in the singular, such as the words "good" (bueno) or "bad" (malo). In the case of a masculine noun, the adjective loses the -o ending.

The same is true for numeral adjectives such as "first" (primero), "second" (segundo), etc. If these are placed before a masculine noun, the ending is omitted.

The Adjective "Grande"

The adjective "grande" (big) can also be placed before the noun, and in this case it is shortened for both masculine and feminine nouns.

In the plural, it retains its natural form, even when prefixed.