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Adjectives

     The adjectives modify the noun or pronoun in some way. They are divided in two groups: 


1.- Adjectives with occasional meaning.

         
       The context and the person included in it will define the use of this group.  
         

                                                                  more...

 

2.- Adjectives with a fixed meaning
         
         It describes the qualities or characteristics of the noun (subject or thing)

e.g.  The yellow house.

Note: the adjectives can also be derivatives, for example:  
   
flaco / thin
    flacucho / skinny 

                more...


        

 ADJECTIVES WITH OCCASIONAL MEANING

 

 Its use depends upon the context and they are divided into:

 

1.-Possessives:

 

Shows possession and matches in gender and number with the noun.

  •     El auto es mío/ The car is mine.

  •     La casa es mía/ The house is mine

  •     Mi padre y mi madre van al cine/ My father and my mother go to the cinema.

 

One owner    

mío, tuyo, suyo

after a masc.sing. noun

mía, tuya, suya

after a fem. singular noun

míos, tuyos, suyos

after a masc. plural noun

mías, tuyas, suyas

after a  sing. plural noun

mi, tu, su

before a singular noun

mis, tus, sus

before a plural noun

 

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2.-Demonstratives:  

 

They point out a thing or person and can even show the position of the referenced object. They must match with the gender and the number of the noun they modify.

  •     Esa flor es roja. / That flower is red.

  •     Esos libros están en la mesa. / These books are on the table.

  •     Esta casa es vieja./ This is an old house.

Notice they don't have a written accent. If written, they become pronouns.

este, ese, aquel (this here, that there, that far away)

Before a masc. singular noun

esta, esa, aquella

Before a fem. singular noun

esto, eso, aquello

Before a fem. or masc. singular noun

estos, esos, aquellos

Before a masc. plural noun

estas, esas, aquellas

Before a fem. plural noun

 

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3.-Indefinites:  

 

To be used for indefinite quantities. They must match in gender with the noun they modify.

  •     Demasiada azúcar no es saludable / too much sugar is unhealthy.

  •     Algunas vacas son negras / some cows are black.

Notice that when writing the indefinite adj. before the masc. noun, some adjectives lose the "o" or "a". 

Those adjs. have been marked (*)

 

alguno / some

poco / a little

ninguno / none

mucho / a lot

demasiado / too much

bastante / enough

tanto / so much-as much

todo / all

cualquiera / any

unos / some

varios / several

 

 

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4.-Relatives:  

 

      These adjectives repeat or confirm the meaning of a word or words in the context.

  •     Me gusta la casa cuyo jardín es hermoso. / I like the house of which the garden is beautiful.

  •     Me gusta el árbol cuyas manzanas son rojas. / I like the tree of which the apples are red.

  •     Elena vió cuantas cosas pudo. / Elena saw as many things as she could.

  •     Cuanto más tengo.../  The more I have ...

(whose or 
of which)

cuyo  

before a masc. sing. noun

cuya

before a fem. sing. noun

cuyos

before a masc. plural. noun

cuyas

before a fem. plural noun

(as much as )

cuanto

before a masc. sing. noun

cuanta

before a fem. sing. noun

cuantos

before a masc. plural  noun

cuantas

before a fem. plural noun

 

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5.-Interrogative and exclamative adjectives.:  

 

They repeat the meaning of a word or words from the context but with an interrogative expression or exclamatory attitude.

  •     ¡Cuánto calor hace!

  •     ¡Cuánta energía tienes!

  •     ¿Cuánto dinero tienes?

  •     ¿Cuántas pesetas tienes?

Note that the adjectives have a written accent which makes the difference between the relative and interrogative adjectives.

Qué                 What

 

Cuánto            How much

before a masc. sing. noun

Cuántos          How many

before a masc. plural  noun

Cuánta               How much

before a fem. sing. noun

Cuántas 

How many

before a fem. plural noun

 

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ADJECTIVES WITH FIXED MEANING

 

They refer to the qualities of the noun they modify and have to match the gender and number of the noun being modified.

 

1.-Qualifying:  

They refer to the qualities of what they appoint.

 

A.-    Descriptive.

         rojo, azul, (colors), cálido, frío  

 

B.-   Qualifies

         difícil, recta, grande, chico, limpio...  

 

C.-   Comparison degree
        difícil ( simple difficulty quality adj.)  

I.-   más + adj + que (superiority)

más difícil que...  more difficult than

 

II.-   tan + adj.+ como (equality)

tan difícil como... /  as difficult as

       igual + de + adj.+ que

               igual de difícil que ...

                               

III.-   menos + adj.+ que (inferiority)

                                            menos difícil que .../  less difficult than  

 

       D.-  Superlative degree. 

I.-   muy + adj.

              muy difícil / very difficult.

 

II.-   el más + adj.+ de ( relative)

              más difícil de la clase / The most difficult in the class.

 

III.-  Drop the final vowel and add the following endings  to any adjective to create the superlative form.
            
-ísimo,-ísima, -ísimos,-ísimas

                                      dificilísimo  / The highest degree of difficulty

                               

 

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2.-Numerals:  

 

There are 5 kinds of adjectives in this category:

 

Cardinals

uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco...

1,2,3,4,5...

Multiples

doble, triple, cuádruple, quíntuple...

double, triple,...

Ordinal

primero, segundo, tercero, cuarto...

1°,2°,3°,4°, ...

Fractional

medio, tercio, cuarto, quinto...

1/2,1/3,1/4,1/5...

Distributives

cada, sendos, ambos.

each, one to one, both

 

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3.-Nationality:   

 

They modify the noun by referring to the nationality or region of origin.

  •     Templo maya / Mayan temple .

  •     Vino francés / French wine.

  •     Café colombiano / Colombian coffee.

 

If the word ends in

Then...

Example

any vowel; a, e, i, o, u.

add an "s".

rosa--rosas

any consonant.

add "es".

camión--camiones

in "z".

change the "z" for "ces".

nuez--nueces

 

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