Introduction to Adjective Agreement
In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This agreement ensures that sentences are grammatically correct and sound natural. Unlike English, where adjectives remain the same regardless of the noun, Spanish changes the form of the adjective to match the noun.
El coche rojo
El koh-cheh roh-hoh
The red car
La casa roja
Lah kah-sah roh-hah
The red house
Gender Agreement
Adjectives change their endings to match the gender of the noun. Masculine adjectives often end in -o while feminine adjectives typically end in -a. When the adjective ends in -o, change it to -a to agree with feminine nouns.
El chico alto
El chee-koh al-toh
The tall boy
La chica alta
Lah chee-kah al-tah
The tall girl
Note: Some adjectives have the same form for both genders, as we will see later.
Number Agreement
Adjectives must also agree in number with the noun. Add -s to adjectives ending in a vowel and -es to those ending in a consonant to form the plural.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| alto (masc. sing.) | altos (masc. plural) |
| alta (fem. sing.) | altas (fem. plural) |
Los perros grandes
Los peh-rros grahn-des
The big dogs
Las casas grandes
Lahs kah-sahs grahn-des
The big houses
Adjectives Ending in -o and -a
Adjectives that end in -o have four forms to agree with both gender and number:
| Gender/Number | Example: bonito (pretty) |
|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | bonito |
| Feminine Singular | bonita |
| Masculine Plural | bonitos |
| Feminine Plural | bonitas |
Un vestido bonito
Oon ves-tee-doh boh-nee-toh
A pretty dress
Unos vestidos bonitos
Oo-nos ves-tee-dos boh-nee-tos
Some pretty dresses
Adjectives Ending in -e or Consonants
Adjectives ending in -e or consonants usually have the same form for masculine and feminine singular, but they change for plural by adding -s or -es respectively.
El estudiante inteligente
El es-too-dee-ahn-te in-teh-lee-hen-te
The intelligent student (male)
La estudiante inteligente
Lah es-too-dee-ahn-te in-teh-lee-hen-te
The intelligent student (female)
For plural:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| inteligente | inteligentes |
| fácil | fáciles |
Los estudiantes inteligentes
Los es-too-dee-ahn-tes in-teh-lee-hen-tes
The intelligent students (male or mixed)
Las estudiantes inteligentes
Lahs es-too-dee-ahn-tes in-teh-lee-hen-tes
The intelligent students (female)
Position of Adjectives
Most Spanish adjectives come after the noun they modify, unlike English. However, some adjectives can come before the noun to add emphasis or change meaning.
Una casa blanca
Oo-nah kah-sah blahn-kah
A white house
Una gran idea
Oo-nah grahn ee-deh-ah
A great idea
Note: When grande comes before a singular noun, it is shortened to gran.
Practice Examples
Try identifying the correct adjective agreement in these sentences:
Los libros interesantes
Los lee-bros in-teh-reh-sahn-tes
The interesting books
Las flores bonitas
Lahs floh-res boh-nee-tas
The pretty flowers
El perro pequeño
El peh-rro peh-keh-nyoh
The small dog
Las casas pequeñas
Lahs kah-sahs peh-keh-nyas
The small houses
Tips for Remembering Rules
- Focus on the noun’s gender and number first, then match the adjective accordingly.
- Remember that adjectives ending in -o have four forms; practice these regularly.
- Adjectives ending in -e or consonants are easier,only change for plural.
- Practice with common adjectives to internalize the patterns.
- Pay attention to adjective position, as it can affect meaning and emphasis.
- Use flashcards with adjective forms and example sentences for faster recall.