Adjectives and Their Agreement with Nouns

Adjectives and Their Agreement with Nouns in Spanish

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. In Spanish, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This agreement is crucial for proper sentence construction and communication.

Definitions:

1. Gender Agreement: In Spanish, nouns are either masculine or feminine. Adjectives must match the gender of the noun. For example, “a tall boy” is “un niño alto” (masculine), and “a tall girl” is “una niña alta” (feminine).
2. Number Agreement: Adjectives also need to match the number of the nouns. If a noun is plural, the adjective should be plural too. For example, “happy children” is “niños felices” (plural).

Rules for Adjective Agreement:

1. Masculine Singular: Often ends in -o (e.g., “bajo” – short).
2. Feminine Singular: Usually formed by changing the ending -o to -a (e.g., “baja” for a feminine noun).
3. Masculine Plural: Add -s or -es to the masculine singular form (e.g., “bajos” – short).
4. Feminine Plural: Add -s or -es to the feminine singular form (e.g., “bajas” – short).

Examples in Sentences:

1. El gato negro (The black cat) – Masculine singular
2. La casa blanca (The white house) – Feminine singular
3. Los libros interesantes (The interesting books) – Masculine plural
4. Las flores hermosas (The beautiful flowers) – Feminine plural

Practice:

1. El perro ___ (grande) – El perro grande (The big dog)
2. La mesa ___ (pequeña) – La mesa pequeña (The small table)
3. Los estudiantes ___ (inteligentes) – Los estudiantes inteligentes (The intelligent students)
4. Las ciudades ___ (modernas) – Las ciudades modernas (The modern cities)

Understanding and correctly applying adjective-noun agreement is fundamental in Spanish. This agreement in gender and number ensures clarity and correctness in expression. As you continue to learn, pay close attention to these agreements in your reading and listening, and practice using them in your speech and writing. Remember, practice makes perfect!