100 Most Common Spanish Adjectives

Most commonly used Spanish adjectives

Below are categorized lists of commonly used Spanish adjectives, each accompanied by their English translations.

Spanish adjectives to describe a person (physical attributes)

Spanish adjectives to describe a person (non-physical attributes)

Spanish adjectives to describe objects and places

Colors in Spanish

Nationalities in Spanish

Adjectives of goodness

Adjectives of quantity

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)