Types of Adjectives in Spanish

Tipos de Adjetivos en Español

In Spanish, adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. They agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the nouns they modify. Adjectives can be categorized into several types based on their function and the kind of information they provide.

Main Types of Adjectives in Spanish

Type of Adjective Spanish Term Description Examples
Descriptive Adjectives Adjetivos Descriptivos Describe a characteristic or quality of a noun, such as color, size, shape, or personality. alto (tall), rojo (red), bonito (pretty)
Demonstrative Adjectives Adjetivos Demostrativos Indicate the location of a noun in relation to the speaker. este (this), esa (that), aquellos (those)
Possessive Adjectives Adjetivos Posesivos Indicate ownership or possession of a noun. mi (my), tu (your), su (his/her/its/their)
Interrogative Adjectives Adjetivos Interrogativos Used to ask questions about a noun. qué (what), cuál (which), cuánto (how much/many)
Exclamatory Adjectives Adjetivos Exclamativos Used to express intensity or emphasize a quality of a noun. ¡qué (how/what)!
Numerical Adjectives Adjetivos Numerales Indicate numbers or quantity of nouns. dos (two), primero (first), varios (several)
Indefinite Adjectives Adjetivos Indefinidos Refer to non-specific quantities or identities. algún (some), ningún (none), muchos (many)
Relative Adjectives Adjetivos Relativos Introduce a relative clause and refer to a noun mentioned earlier in the sentence. cuyo (whose), cual (which)
Qualitative Adjectives Adjetivos Calificativos Describe a noun’s inherent qualities or characteristics and include the concept of goodness, beauty, etc. bueno (good), malo (bad), hermoso (beautiful)

Examples of Sentences with Different Types of Adjectives

# Sentence (Spanish) Type of Adjective English Translation
1 La casa roja es mía. Descriptive The red house is mine.
2 Este libro es interesante. Demonstrative This book is interesting.
3 Mi perro es muy obediente. Possessive My dog is very obedient.
4 ¿Cuántas manzanas tienes? Interrogative How many apples do you have?
5 ¡Qué hermosa es esta ciudad! Exclamatory How beautiful this city is!
6 Juan tiene tres hermanos. Numerical Juan has three brothers.
7 Hay muchos libros en la biblioteca. Indefinite There are many books in the library.
8 El autor, cuyo libro leí, es famoso. Relative The author, whose book I read, is famous.
9 Ella es una buena persona. Qualitative She is a good person.

This

Translate / Traducir