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Gender and Adjectives
Gender and Adjectives
Spanish adjectives must match the nouns they describe in both gender and number. For example, apples (manzanas) are feminine in Spanish, so this word must be used with feminine articles like la, las, and una. Any adjective used to describe an apple in Spanish must also be feminine (for example roja). On the other hand, bananas (plátanos) are masculine, and must be used with masculine articles and adjectives.
La manzana es roja.
The apple is red.
El plátano es amarillo.
The banana is yellow.
Adjective Agreement
Adjective Agreement
In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the noun (or pronoun) they describe in gender and in number. This means that if the noun an adjective describes is feminine, the adjective must be feminine, and if that same noun is also plural, the adjective will be feminine AND plural as well.
For example, the noun las faldas (the skirts) is plural and feminine, so any adjectives used to describe it most also be plural and feminine. For example:
las faldas bonitas
the pretty skirts
las faldas caras
the expensive skirts
las faldas rayadas
the striped skirts
Descriptive Adjectives
Descriptive Adjectives
Spanish adjectives are usually listed in their masculine singular form in dictionaries, so it is important to know how to match these masculine singular adjectives to whatever noun you happen to be describing. Most adjectives end in o, e, or a consonant in their singular masculine forms. Below you will find the rules for matching these adjectives to their respective nouns in gender and number.
Adjectives that End in o
Adjectives that End in o
Adjectives that end in o in the masculine singular form have four possible endings, one each for masculine, feminine, singular, and plural. These types of adjectives make up the majority of adjectives in Spanish.
-o Adjective Endings
-o Adjective Endings
Masculine Feminine
Singular -o -a
Plural -os -as
To change the masculine singular form of an adjective to match a feminine noun, replace the -o ending with an -a.
Es un perro negro.
It's a black dog.
Es una camisa negra.
It's a black shirt.
To make an -o adjective plural in the masculine or feminine form, add an -s to the singular ending.
El hombre es alto.
The man is tall.
Los hombres son altos.
The men are tall.
Soy delgada.
I'm thin.
Somos delgadas.
We're thin.
Adjectives that End in -e or -ista
Adjectives that End in -e or -ista
Adjectives that end in -e or -ista do not change according to gender. They agree with both masculine and feminine nouns in the singular form, though they do change for number.
Gender of Noun and Adjective
Tengo un abuelo interesante. (Masculine)
Mi abuela es interesante. (Feminine)
Mi profesor es muy idealista. (Masculine)
Mi profesora es muy idealista. (Feminine)
-e Adjective Endings
-e Adjective Endings
Masculine Feminine
Singular -e -e
Plural -es -es
-ista Adjective Endings
-ista Adjective Endings
Masculine Feminine
Singular -ista -ista
Plural -istas -istas
Adjectives that End in a Consonant
Adjectives that End in a Consonant
Most adjectives that end in a consonant do not change according to gender, but do change for number, just like adjectives that end in -e.
El coche es azul.
The car is blue.
La moto es azul.
The motorcycle is blue.
El gato feliz está en la sala.
The happy cat is in the living room.
La gata feliz está en la sala.
The happy cat is in the living room.
To make an adjective that ends in a consonant plural, add -es to the singular ending.
El enigma es fácil.
The riddle is easy.
Los enigmas son fáciles.
Riddles are easy.
A la mujer joven le gusta este café.
The young woman likes this cafe.
A las mujeres jóvenes les gusta este café.
Young women like this cafe.
Exception: For adjectives that end in -z in the singular, change the -z to a c- before adding the plural ending.
El gato es feliz.
The cat is happy.
Los gatos son felices.
The cats are happy.
Exception: Adjectives that end in -or, -ón, or -ín do have feminine forms. Simply add a or -as to the masculine singular form and delete the written accent if necessary.
Mi hermano es trabajador.
My brother is hardworking.
Mi hermana es trabajadora.
My sister is hardworking.
Mis hermanos son trabajadores.
My brothers are hardworking.
Mis hermanas son trabajadoras.
My sisters are hardworking.
Pablo es cabezón.
Pablo is stubborn.
Paula es cabezona.
Paula is stubborn.
Exception: Adjectives ending in -erior do not have a feminine form.
Está en el patio exterior del edificio.
He's in the back patio of the building.
Está en la parte posterior del edificio.
He's in the back part of the building.
Practice: Conjugate the adjective in parenthesis to match the noun.
Practice: Conjugate the adjective in parenthesis to match the noun.
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