3.

1 Descriptive adjectives
ANTE TODO
Adjectives are words that describe people, places,
and things.
In Spanish, descriptive adjectives are often used
with the verb ser to point out the characteristics or
qualities of nouns or pronouns, such as nationality,
size, color, shape, personality, and appearance.

NOUN ADJECTIVE
El abuelo de Maite es alto.
PRONOUN ADJECTIVE
l es muy simptico tambin.
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Forms and agreement of adjectives
COMPARE & CONTRAST
In English, the forms of descriptive adjectives do not change
to reflect the gender (masculine / feminine) and number
(singular / plural) of the noun or pronoun they describe.

Juan is nice. Elena is nice. They are nice.

In Spanish, the forms of descriptive adjectives agree in gender

and/or number with the nouns or pronouns they describe.

Juan es simptico. Elena es simptica. Ellos son simpticos.

 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Adjectives that end in o have four different forms.

The feminine singular is formed by changing the o to a.

The plural is formed by adding s to the singular forms.

Masculine Feminine

SINGULAR SINGULAR
el muchacho alto la muchacha alta
PLURAL PLURAL
los muchachos altos las muchachas altas
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Adjectives that end in e or a consonant have the
same masculine and feminine forms.

Masculine Feminine

SINGULAR SINGULAR
el muchacho inteligente la muchacha inteligente
el examen difcil la clase difcil
PLURAL PLURAL
los muchachos inteligentes las muchachas inteligentes
los exmenes difciles las clases difciles
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Adjectives that end in or are variable in both gender
and number.

Masculine Feminine

SINGULAR SINGULAR
el hombre trabajador la mujer trabajadora
PLURAL PLURAL
los hombres trabajadores las mujeres trabajadoras
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Adjectives that refer to nouns of different genders use
the masculine plural form.

Manuel es alto.

Lola es alta.

Manuel y Lola son altos.

 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Common adjectives

alto/a tall fcil easy

antiptico/a unpleasant feo/a ugly

bajo/a short (in height) gordo/a fat

bonito/a pretty grande big; large

handsome;
bueno/a good guapo/a good-looking

delgado/a thin; slender importante important

difcil hard; difficult inteligente intelligent

 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Common adjectives

joven young pequeo/a small

malo/a bad rubio/a blond(e)

mismo/a same simptico/a nice; likeable

moreno/a brunet(te) tonto/a silly; foolish

mucho/a much; many; a lot of trabajador(a) hard-working

pelirrojo/a red-haired viejo/a old

 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Adjectives of nationality

Adjectives of nationality are formed like other descriptive

adjectives. Adjectives of nationality that end in o form the
feminine by changing the o to a.

chino china mexicano mexicana

The plural is formed by adding an s to the masculine or

feminine form.

chino chinos mexicana mexicanas

 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Adjectives of nationality

Adjectives of nationality that end in e have only two forms,

singular and plural.

canadiense canadienses
estadounidense estadounidenses
Adjectives of nationality that end in a consonant form the
feminine by adding a.

alemn alemana espaol espaola

japons japonesa ingls inglesa
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
ATENCIN!
Unlike in English, Spanish adjectives of nationality are
not capitalized. Proper names of countries, however, are
capitalized.
Mxico Canad
China Per
Note that adjectives of nationality which carry an accent
mark on the last syllable, drop it in the feminine and
plural forms.

ingls inglesa
alemn alemanes
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Some adjectives of nationality
alemn, alemana German ingls, inglesa English

canadiense Canadian italiano/a Italian

japons, japonesa
chino/a Chinese Japanese

ecuatoriano/a Ecuadorian mexicano/a Mexican

(North)
espaol(a) Spanish norteamericano/a American

estadounidense from the U. S. puertorriqueo/a Puerto Rican

francs, francesa French ruso/a Russian

 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Position of adjectives

Descriptive adjectives and adjectives of

nationality generally follow the nouns they
modify.

El chico rubio es de Espaa.

The blond boy is from Spain.

La mujer espaola habla ingls.

The Spanish woman speaks English.
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Position of adjectives

Unlike descriptive adjectives, adjectives of

quantity are placed before the modified noun.

Hay muchos libros en la biblioteca.

There are many books in the library.

Hablo con dos turistas puertorriqueos.

I am talking with two Puerto Rican tourists.
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Position of adjectives
Bueno/a and malo/a can be placed before or after a
noun. When placed before a masculine singular noun,
the forms are shortened: bueno buen; malo mal.
Joaqun es un buen amigo.
Joaqun is a good friend.
Joaqun es un amigo bueno.

Hoy es un mal da.

Today is a bad day.
Hoy es un da malo.
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
Position of adjectives
When grande appears before a singular noun, it is
shortened to gran, and the meaning of the word
changes: gran = great and grande = big, large.

Don Francisco es un gran hombre.

Don Francisco is a great man.

La familia de Ins es grande.

Ins family is large.
 3.1 Descriptive adjectives
INTNTALO! Provide the appropriate forms of the adjectives.
simptico espaol
1. Mi hermano es ____. 1. Luis es ____.
2. La profesora Martnez es ____. 2. Mis primas son ____.
3. Rosa y Teresa son ____. 3. Rafael y yo somos ____.
4. Nosotros somos ____. 4. Nosotros somos ____.

difcil guapo
1. Clara es ____. 1. Su esposo es ____.
2. El periodista es ____. 2. Mis sobrinas son ____.
3. Ellas son ____. 3. Los padres de ella son ____.
4. Los turistas son ____. 4. Marta es ____.