Placement of adjectives in Spanish
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The placement of Spanish adjectives strictly relies on the information they provide about the noun they modify.
Unlike English, Spanish adjectives are generally placed after the noun.
Examples:
However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
Some adjective categories do not follow the noun they modify:
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Limiting adjectives indicate numbers and amounts.
Examples:
Descriptive adjectives which put the stress on essential features are placed before the noun.
Example:
La valiente leona protege a sus cachorros. (The brave lioness protect her cubs.)
Some adjectives change meaning according to their placement:
Examples:
Adjective | Before the noun | After the noun |
---|---|---|
alto | high-class | tall |
bajo | of low quality | short |
bueno | simple / good | gentle / generous |
cierto | certain | true / right |
dulce | good / nice | sweet |
grande | great | big |
mismo | same | himself / herself |
nuevo | newly acquired | newly made |
proprio | his / her own | especially for someone |
raro | rare | strange |
simple | mere | simple / modest |
solo | one | lonely |
triste | dreadful | sad |
único | only | unique |
viejo | long-term | old / aged |
When placed before the noun, some adjectives have shortened forms. This change only affects the masculine form of adjectives, which tend to drop the -o when are followed by a masculine noun.
Adjective | Shortened form | Example |
---|---|---|
alguno (some) | algún | algún vaso (some glass) |
bueno (good) | buen | buen amigo (good friend) |
malo (bad) | mal | mal ejemplo (bad example) |
ninguno (no, not any) | ningún | ningún hombre (no man) |
primero (first) | primer | el primer año (the first year) |
Santo (Saint) | San | San Francisco |
tercero (third) | tercer | el tercer capítulo (the third chapter) |
uno (a, an, one) | un | un gato ( a cat) |
Ciento appears in number 101 and higher, while the shortened form cien is used for the number one hundred before a plural noun.
Examples:
More than one adjective can modify a noun.
1. Two or more adjectives may follow the noun and they are generally linked by a conjuction or separated by a comma.
Examples:
2. In case of shortened forms or an adjective that has a different meaning if placed before or after the noun, the adjective which precedes the noun will remain in place:
Examples:
Please note that some adjectives change meaning according to their placement:
- when placed after the noun, the adjective has an objective meaning
- when placed before the noun, the adjective has a more subjective meaning
Una amiga vieja
an old-aged friend
a long-term friend
Un jersey nuevo
a newly-acquired jersey
a newly-made jumper
Una pieza única
a unique piece
only piece
Una tarta dulce
a nice cake
a sweet cake
Una persona rara
a strange person
a rare person
Ciertos estudiantes
certain students
right students
Un grande héroe
a big hero
a great hero
Un viejo amigo
an old-aged friend
a long-term friend
Un palacio grande
a great palace
a big palace
Buena gente
good people
gentle people
Please note that some adjectives change meaning according to their placement:
- when placed after the noun, the adjective has an objective meaning
- when placed before the noun, the adjective has a more subjective meaning
Una amiga vieja
an old-aged friend
Un jersey nuevo
a newly-made jumper
Una pieza única
a unique piece
Una tarta dulce
a sweet cake
Una persona rara
a strange person
Ciertos estudiantes
certain students
Un grande héroe
a great hero
Un viejo amigo
a long-term friend
Un palacio grande
a big palace
Buena gente
good people
Please note that:
- Descriptive adjectives are generally placed after the noun
- Possessive adjectives are genrally placed before the noun
- Demonstrative adjectives are generally placed before the noun
- Indefinite adjectives are generally placed before the noun
My brother is an handsome man.
Mi hermano es un bonito hombre.
Mi hermano es un hombre bonito.
My friend's name is Isabel.
Amiga mi se llama Isabel.
Mi amiga se llama Isabel.
This skirt is to short for you.
Falda esta es demasiado corta para ti.
Esta falda es demasiado corta para ti.
I have just finished to wash these plates.
Acabo de fregar platos estos.
Acabo de fregar estos platos.
I have seen some multicolour butterflies.
He visto unas mariposas multicolores.
He visto unas multicolores mariposas.
I bought some potatoes.
Compré algunas patatas.
Compré patatas algunas.
I do not want to take any pill.
No quiero tomar ninguna pastilla.
No quiero tomar pastilla ninguna.
This is your friend.
Éste es tu amigo.
Éste es amigo tu.
I bought a pair of red slippers.
Compré un par de rojas zapatillas.
Compré un par de zapatillas rojas.
Close that door over there!
¡Cierra puerta aquella!
¡Cierra aquella puerta!
Please note that:
- Descriptive adjectives are generally placed after the noun
- Possessive adjectives are genrally placed before the noun
- Demonstrative adjectives are generally placed before the noun
- Indefinite adjectives are generally placed before the noun
My brother is an handsome man.
Mi hermano es un hombre bonito.
My friend's name is Isabel.
Mi amiga se llama Isabel.
This skirt is to short for you.
Esta falda es demasiado corta para ti.
I have just finished to wash these plates.
Acabo de fregar estos platos.
I have seen some multicolour butterflies.
He visto unas mariposas multicolores.
I bought some potatoes.
Compré algunas patatas.
I do not want to take any pill.
No quiero tomar ninguna pastilla.
This is your friend.
Éste es tu amigo.
I bought a pair of red slippers.
Compré un par de zapatillas rojas.
Close that door over there!
¡Cierra aquella puerta!
Pay attention to the adjective placement.
1- Endless journey
2- My mobile phone
3- Certain students
4- This Backpack
5- Long-term friend
6- Your house
7- This website
8- Beautiful butterfly
9- That pen
10- Sad story
Please note that some adjectives change meaning according to their placement:
- when placed after the noun, the adjective has an objective meaning
- when placed before the noun, the adjective has a more subjective meaning
Una amiga vieja
an old-aged friend
a long-term friend
Un jersey nuevo
a newly-acquired jersey
a newly-made jumper
Una pieza única
a unique piece
only piece
Una tarta dulce
a nice cake
a sweet cake
Una persona rara
a rare person
a strange person
Ciertos estudiantes
certain students
right students
Un grande héroe
a great hero
a big hero
Un viejo amigo
an old-aged friend
a long-term friend
Un palacio grande
a big palace
a great palace
Buena gente
good people
gentle people
Please note that some adjectives change meaning according to their placement:
- when placed after the noun, the adjective has an objective meaning
- when placed before the noun, the adjective has a more subjective meaning
Una amiga vieja
an old-aged friend
Un jersey nuevo
a newly-made jumper
Una pieza única
a unique piece
Una tarta dulce
a sweet cake
Una persona rara
a strange person
Ciertos estudiantes
certain students
Un grande héroe
a great hero
Un viejo amigo
a long-term friend
Un palacio grande
a big palace
Buena gente
good people
Please note that:
- Descriptive adjectives are generally placed after the noun
- Possessive adjectives are genrally placed before the noun
- Demonstrative adjectives are generally placed before the noun
- Indefinite adjectives are generally placed before the noun
My brother is an handsome man.
Mi hermano es un bonito hombre.
Mi hermano es un hombre bonito.
My friend's name is Isabel.
Amiga mi se llama Isabel.
Mi amiga se llama Isabel.
This skirt is to short for you.
Falda esta es demasiado corta para ti.
Esta falda es demasiado corta para ti.
I have just finished to wash these plates.
Acabo de fregar platos estos.
Acabo de fregar estos platos.
I have seen some multicolour butterflies.
He visto unas multicolores mariposas.
He visto unas mariposas multicolores.
I bought some potatoes.
Compré patatas algunas.
Compré algunas patatas.
I do not want to take any pill.
No quiero tomar pastilla ninguna.
No quiero tomar ninguna pastilla.
This is your friend.
Éste es amigo tu.
Éste es tu amigo.
I bought a pair of red slippers.
Compré un par de rojas zapatillas.
Compré un par de zapatillas rojas.
Close that door over there!
¡Cierra puerta aquella!
¡Cierra aquella puerta!
Please note that:
- Descriptive adjectives are generally placed after the noun
- Possessive adjectives are genrally placed before the noun
- Demonstrative adjectives are generally placed before the noun
- Indefinite adjectives are generally placed before the noun
My brother is an handsome man.
Mi hermano es un hombre bonito.
My friend's name is Isabel.
Mi amiga se llama Isabel.
This skirt is to short for you.
Esta falda es demasiado corta para ti.
I have just finished to wash these plates.
Acabo de fregar estos platos.
I have seen some multicolour butterflies.
He visto unas mariposas multicolores.
I bought some potatoes.
Compré algunas patatas.
I do not want to take any pill.
No quiero tomar ninguna pastilla.
This is your friend.
Éste es tu amigo.
I bought a pair of red slippers.
Compré un par de zapatillas rojas.
Close that door over there!
¡Cierra aquella puerta!
Pay attention to the adjective placement.
1- Endless journey
2- My mobile phone
3- Certain students
4- This Backpack
5- Long-term friend
6- Your house
7- This website
8- Beautiful butterfly
9- That pen
10- Sad story
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Hi everyone!
My name is Kilian, I am 29 years old and I am a Spanish guy from Canary Islands.
A year ago I graduated in Spanish Language at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and I also finished the course that accredits me as a DELE examiner for levels B1 and B2 by the Instituto Cervantes. After studying abroad for six months (Czech Republic) I knew that I wanted to dedicate myself to teaching Spanish as a foreign language, so here I am!
Of course, my mother tongue is Spanish, but I also have an intermediate level of English which can be very useful to solve some doubts that may arise during the classes.
So if you want to learn more about Spain, about the fourth most spoken language in the world, and one of the most widely spoken languages in the planet, I look forward to share with you all of my knowledge in our class!
All the best!
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Kilian is a nice young man. we had a lot of fun learning. He speaks English very well, maybe I can also speak a little German ;-) I am learning A1 and he is helping me to get to A2.
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Hello, Spanish learner! I am Isabel, your Spanish teacher.
I am a professional online Spanish teacher for 3 years. I am a native speaker from Colombia.
My lessons are completely in Spanish because I want you to speak as much as possible. During my lessons, we will focus on conversation and pronunciation. But a typical lesson also contains a vocabulary topic and a grammar topic.
I will focus on your needs and your mistakes to improve your Spanish as quickly as possible. In the first lesson, we will do a level test to check your current level (CEFR A1, A2, B1, B2, C1)
If you would like to improve your Spanish, learn more about the South American culture, gastronomy and traditions, I am your teacher! Or if you just want to talk in Spanish, about any subject you like, I would be happy to meet you online.
Send me a message and I will provide you a 30-minute free trial lesson!
See you online on Skype.
Your Spanish teacher, Isabel
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Isabel is a fantastic person! She has a lot of patience and always helps me understand where I’m wrong. Although I have had a few lessons with her, I am doing very well and I will definitely continue to take Spanish lessons with her. We always deal with pleasant topics, always try to make me comfortable and is very nice. I’m very happy to have chosen her as a teacher :)
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I have been through many Spanish tutors online. Montserrat is by far the most creative and fun to learn with.
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My name Akani Zelda Baloyi and I am from South Africa. I have a TEFL certificate and I have been teaching English online for a year now. I speak English as second language.
When it comes to my teaching approach, I like to tailor my teaching approach in accordance with my student's individual needs, because I really care about them and want to know more about them. I also like to tailor my classes in accordance to what works well for my students.
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Akani is a qualified and friendly teacher. She has lot of experience with online teaching. She uses an interactive and well structured teaching method.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Learning a new language can be fun! I use a pragmatic, inductive and communicative approach so I can speak without fear. I have a deep knowledge of Italian and German grammar. I also work with authentic materials, comics and videos. Learn Italian also through lessons on art, culture and food and wine! For business Italian courses, I can also devote lessons inherent to the relevant terminology.
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Working with kids was the most important and significant choice in my professional career as a teacher, because I discovered the real meaning of being an educator. I understood that it's not just about teaching the subject, but guiding and supporting students; being an inspiring person. I like to comprehend teaching by a very beautiful phrase that stands: Be the person that you needed when you were young.
If you choose me as your teacher, I promise that you will learn a lot of things while having a great time together!
See you in our class! Bye!
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Matias Alejandro has 10 years of experience in teaching English and Spanish to people of all ages and cultures. During his lessons he will use video and books to help you achieve your goals.
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Hello, I have a BA, MA and CELTA, with 15 years' experience in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I have taught groups and 1-1, children and adults, in class and online, General and Business English, all levels from Beginners to Proficiency, and have successfully prepared students for exams in IELTS and FCE. I employ the '3 Ps' method - Presentation., Practice, Production - to help you acquire skills in grammar and vocabulary, reading and writing, listening and speaking. I employ a variety of teaching materials, including textbooks, audiovisual aids and realia. If you need help with any of these skills, get in touch!
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Nicholas teaches English since 15 years to any level and age. He adaptes his lessons according student needs and demands. He uses the 3 P teaching method (Presentation, Production, Practice) which enables the student to work his/her English grammar and vocabulary and then use them to improve his/her pronunciation and speak fluently English . He uses different tools as book, exercises, videos or games. I recommend him !
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I have studied for several years in different institutions to obtain my degree. I started teaching Romanian years ago in Romania. Later on, I have also offered my help and support to Spanish students, as I have been living in Spain for many years.
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A mixture of traditional and new methodologies will be used to obtain satisfactory results for both parties: student-teacher.
We will be using study books, audio and video materials, all kinds of worksheets, games and of course conversations, which will lead the students to have a better pronunciation and oral comprehension.
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Didier is a native French ! He is teaching French to foreign people since many years. He used to teach online so he knows perfectly how structure and adapt a lesson for students. You can learn French by doing oral and writing comprehension, grammar and exercises and having conversations to practice your French pronunciation. His learning tools are very diversified and attractive ! I recommend him !
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Hey,
My name is Ina, I'm a Norwegian who grew up abroad and has lived in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years.
Completing my International Baccalaureate at an international school in Taiwan, I studied Film and Television at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
I've tutored one on one as well as large summer camp classes, from ages ranging from 8 to 45. I'm a keen listener, attentive and flexible to the learning style which suits you best.
I am TEFL certified, and have spent my last year working in the Scottish TV industry, working on programmes for channels like the BBC and Channel 4.
I would love to help you practice conversation skills, basic grammar and improve your confidence in expressing yourself in English!
Looking forward to working with you,
Ina
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Ina is a very experienced and motivated teacher. The learning material is very interactive and the classes are very well structured based on the students needs.
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Bonjour,
My name is Hermione.
I have been working in English Language Teaching (ELT) since 2012. I have taught General English, Business English and Exam Preparation courses to learners of all ages and levels.
I have worked as an English teacher in England, France and Greece and as a corporate trainer on Amazon, France.
I have more than 6 years of experience in Education management. I have a BA in Balkan Studies and an MBA.
My native language is Greek and I can also speak German and Romanian. I am currently working on improving my French.
As a teacher, I believe every student deserves the opportunity to learn at their own individual pace, let curiosity direct their learning, and participate in hands-on activities that encourage growth.
My lessons are fun, creative, challenging and rewarding. I really like to tailor my lessons to suit your needs, motivation and interests.
Always remember that to learn a language is to have one more window to look at the world.
Hope to see you soon in my class!
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Hermione has great structured courses. You can work anything that you want with her, she will adapt her courses based on your demands.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Hermione A.Thank you :)
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Hi everyone!
My name is Kilian, I am 29 years old and I am a Spanish guy from Canary Islands.
A year ago I graduated in Spanish Language at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and I also finished the course that accredits me as a DELE examiner for levels B1 and B2 by the Instituto Cervantes. After studying abroad for six months (Czech Republic) I knew that I wanted to dedicate myself to teaching Spanish as a foreign language, so here I am!
Of course, my mother tongue is Spanish, but I also have an intermediate level of English which can be very useful to solve some doubts that may arise during the classes.
So if you want to learn more about Spain, about the fourth most spoken language in the world, and one of the most widely spoken languages in the planet, I look forward to share with you all of my knowledge in our class!
All the best!
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Kilian is a nice young man. we had a lot of fun learning. He speaks English very well, maybe I can also speak a little German ;-) I am learning A1 and he is helping me to get to A2.
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Hello, Spanish learner! I am Isabel, your Spanish teacher.
I am a professional online Spanish teacher for 3 years. I am a native speaker from Colombia.
My lessons are completely in Spanish because I want you to speak as much as possible. During my lessons, we will focus on conversation and pronunciation. But a typical lesson also contains a vocabulary topic and a grammar topic.
I will focus on your needs and your mistakes to improve your Spanish as quickly as possible. In the first lesson, we will do a level test to check your current level (CEFR A1, A2, B1, B2, C1)
If you would like to improve your Spanish, learn more about the South American culture, gastronomy and traditions, I am your teacher! Or if you just want to talk in Spanish, about any subject you like, I would be happy to meet you online.
Send me a message and I will provide you a 30-minute free trial lesson!
See you online on Skype.
Your Spanish teacher, Isabel
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Isabel is a fantastic person! She has a lot of patience and always helps me understand where I’m wrong. Although I have had a few lessons with her, I am doing very well and I will definitely continue to take Spanish lessons with her. We always deal with pleasant topics, always try to make me comfortable and is very nice. I’m very happy to have chosen her as a teacher :)
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I have been through many Spanish tutors online. Montserrat is by far the most creative and fun to learn with.
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My name Akani Zelda Baloyi and I am from South Africa. I have a TEFL certificate and I have been teaching English online for a year now. I speak English as second language.
When it comes to my teaching approach, I like to tailor my teaching approach in accordance with my student's individual needs, because I really care about them and want to know more about them. I also like to tailor my classes in accordance to what works well for my students.
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Akani is a qualified and friendly teacher. She has lot of experience with online teaching. She uses an interactive and well structured teaching method.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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