Rosetta Stone’s latest series of language lessons will help you build your Hebrew skills!… Are you familiar with the word bueno? What about buenos, buena, and buenas? Many beginner Spanish speakers are familiar with those adjectives—each of them means “good”—but may not know the difference between them. In this post, we’ll take a deeper look at Spanish adjectives to help you better describe nouns—people, places, things, and ideas—and give pizzazz to your writing and speaking. Below, check out our list of over 100 adjectives that can help you spice up your communication. Plus, you’ll also learn about placement and adjective agreement in Spanish, so you can use adjectives correctly every time. With Rosetta Stone, you can master Spanish adjectives and more with an immersive method that helps you learn in a natural way without heavy memorization. Check it out here! The most commonly used Spanish adjectives Here are some lists of frequently used adjectives in Spanish grouped by category, with their English meaning. You’ll find out the details of how to use these adjectives at the end of these lists. Be sure to look at our Basic Spanish Words and Phrases for Every Conversation, so you can start having real conversations now! Spanish adjectives to describe a person (physical attributes) SpanishEnglishbonitocute, prettyhermosohandsome, beautifulguapoattractive, handsomebellovery handsome, very beautifulfeouglyaltotallbajoshortdelgadothinflacoskinnycorpulentoheavysetgordofateleganteelegant, fancybien vestidowell-dressedfuertestrongdébilweak Spanish adjectives to describe a person (non-physical attributes) SpanishEnglishinteligenteintelligentlindonicetontodumb or sillyestúpidostupid (stronger than in English, an insult)educadowell-manneredpreparadoeducatedalegregood-natured, cheerful (with ser)felizhappysimpáticonice, friendlyagradablepleasant, agreeabletristesadmalhumoradogrumpyreservadoreservedtímidoshyaccesibleapproachablecomplicadocomplicatedamigablefriendlygruñóngrumpy, mean jovenyoungmayorelderlyviejooldtacañostingysincerosincerericorichpobrepoorinteresanteinterestingaburridoboringdivertidofun, funnyflojo/perezosolazyresponsableresponsibletrabajadorhardworking Spanish adjectives to describe objects and places SpanishEnglishbonitopretty, lovely, cutehermosobeautifullindopretty, cute, lovely, agreeablefeouglybellolovely, beautifulgrandelargelargolongpequeñosmallchicosmallcaroexpensivebaratocheaphorriblehorriblemaravillosomarvelousimpresionanteimpressiveespectacularspectacularfantásticofantasticexcelenteexcellentfácileasydifícildifficulttípicotypical Papel picado, Mexico Colors in Spanish SpanishEnglishrojoredamarilloyellowazulblueanaranjadoorangeverdegreenmoradopurplerosapinkcafé, marrónbrownmorenobrown-skinnednegroblackblancowhitegrisgray Nationalities in Spanish SpanishEnglishnorteamericano/estadounidenseNorth American/AmericancanadienseCanadianinglésEnglishirlandésIrishchinoChinesealemánGermanfrancésFrenchitalianoItalianrusoRussiancoreanoKoreanjaponésJapanesesaudí, sauditaSaudi Arabianindio/hindú(East) IndianmexicanoMexicanespañolSpanishargentinoArgentinechilenoChileancostarricenseCosta RicanpuertorriqueñoPuerto RicancolombianoColombianguatemaltecoGuatemalandominicanoDominicanbrasileñoBrazilianecuatorianoEcuadoranhondureñoHonduran Adjectives of goodness SpanishEnglishbuenogoodmalobad Adjectives of quantity SpanishEnglishmuchomany, much, a lot ofpocolittle, fewotroother, anothercadaeach (does not change for masculine and feminine)ambosbothbastanteenough Zargota City, Spain General rules: How to use Spanish adjectives correctly Using adjectives for the first time in conversation or writing? There are two key rules you’ll need to remember to use them the right way. These rules apply to the vast majority of adjectives you’ll encounter! Let’s dive in so you can start using them in no time. 1. Place adjectives before nouns Unlike English, most adjectives in Spanish go after the noun. If we are talking about an attractive man, we’d say: un hombre guapo = a handsome man There are a few exceptions to this rule, but for now just remember to place the adjective after the thing you’re describing. 2. Change the ending to match noun gender and number In Spanish, all nouns are gendered (masculine/feminine), which means the parts of speech that modify them—both adjectives and articles—are often altered to agree with that gender. Adjectives and articles must also agree in number (singular/plural). Let’s take a look at the examples below: un hombre guapo = a handsome man unas mujeres guapas = pretty women See how everything matches? Hombre, which is a masculine noun, is modified by guapo, an adjective in masculine, singular form. Mujeres, which is a feminine noun, is modified by guapas, an adjective in feminine, plural form. Most adjectives will end in o for their masculine form and a for their feminine form: un gato divertido = a fun male cat una gata divertida = a fun female cat Note: Adjectives will usually be listed in a dictionary with only the masculine form or with their feminine variant listed second (divertido, da). Understanding the exceptions: How to use Spanish adjectives correctly As with all language rules, there are exceptions. We’ll break them down by adjective type. Using nationalities as adjectives Adjectives for nationalities are not capitalized in Spanish. For those ending in a consonant, you add the a for the feminine form: un niño japonés = a Japanese boy una niña japonesa = a Japanese girl Notice that in the feminine form it has no accent. Using adjectives that end in -or, -ón, -án, and -ín… For adjectives that end in -or, -ón, -án, or -ín, also add an a and drop the accent if the masculine form has one: un hombre trabajador = a hardworking man una mujer trabajadora = a Japanese girl un hombre gruñón = a grumpy man una mujer gruñona = a grumpy woman Using adjectives with unchangeable endings Some adjectives have endings that don’t change. These are the ones that do not end in o or a, and they are the same for masculine or feminine singular nouns: un hombre inteligente = an intelligent man una mujer inteligente = an intelligent woman Using bueno and malo There are two commonly used masculine adjectives—bueno and malo—that drop the o when they’re before a masculine singular noun, for example: un buen muchacho = a good young man un mal hombre = a bad man These adjectives can also follow the noun, as in es un muchacho bueno (he is a good young man). Be warned, though, that it’s not common to say it this way, and it’s far less impactful. Using adjectives of quantity The adjectives of quantity generally go before the noun. Tengo mucho dinero. = I have a lot of money. Es otro problema. = It is another problem. Using adjectives with the verb ser As in English, adjectives can follow the verb “to be”—ser. However, they must agree in number and gender: María es interesante. = Maria is interesting. Javier y Edgar son interesantes. = Javier and Edgar are interesting. Using adjectives with definitive articles In some cases, adjectives can function as nouns when paired with a definitive article, which include el, la, lo, los, and las. la bella = the beautiful one; the beautiful woman el flaco = the skinny one; the skinny man la roja = the red one (feminine noun) el verde = the green one (masculine noun) Mastering Spanish adjectives and beyond with Rosetta Stone To recap, adjectives in Spanish usually come before the word they modify, and they must match the noun they’re describing in gender and number. But Rosetta Stone can do a lot more than provide you with lists! It can help you learn and use adjectives in context like a native. Try Rosetta Stone Stories for practice and learn how to pronounce adjectives correctly with TruAccent, where you’ll get instant feedback on your pronunciation. Start your language adventure now! Written by Rowena Galavitz Rowena Galavitz is a Spanish translator, bilingual copy editor, and language and literature instructor with three master’s degrees who loves Spanish and all things Mexico.
