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What is a qualifying adjective?

In both English and Spanish, adjectives indicate the properties of a noun.

They define how something or someone is. They describe several types of characteristics:

• a quality (for example: una ciudad gris / a grey city; una playa privada / a private beach) ;
• a local reference (for example: una isla mediterránea / a Mediterranean island);
• a temporal reference (for example: un evento veraniego / a summer event);
• a relationship (for example: la política marítima / the maritime policy).

Qualifying adjectives (“adjetivos calificativos” in Spanish) indicate the physical characteristics (size, color, etc.) and mental states (mood, personality, etc.) of a person or object.

Where to place the qualifying adjective in the Spanish sentence?

In the Spanish sentence the qualifying adjective is usually placed after the noun that it completes. When they are placed before the noun they can have a different meaning.

Adjectives placed before the noun

Placed before the noun, qualifying adjectives can be used to emphasize a quality. This order allows to express a personal and therefore subjective opinion. This order is generally used in literary texts.

• Example : La bonita flor que adorna la mesa. The pretty flower that decorates the table.

Some qualifying adjectives change their meaning when placed before the noun.

Examples :

• Mi amiga es una mujer grande. My friend is a tall woman.
• Aquella reina fue una gran mujer. This queen was a great lady. 

Numeral adjectives

As a general rule, numeral adjectives are placed before the noun. They are sometimes found after the noun. When they are placed after the noun their meaning does not change.

Examples :

• Ayer leí el primer capítulo del libro. Yesterday I read the first chapter of the book.
• El capítulo primero trata de la Reconquista. The first chapter is about the Reconquest.

How do qualifying adjectives agree in Spanish?

In Spanish, qualifying adjectives agree in gender (feminine or masculine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they qualify.

Gender agreement

When an adjective qualifies a feminine noun, it agrees in the feminine.

Regular adjectives

Adjectives that end in “-o” in the masculine, change to “-a” when qualifying a feminine noun.

Examples :

• Un libro blanco. A white book.
• Una casa blanca. A white house.

Qualifying adjectives ending in a consonant

Adjectives ending with a consonant are invariable in gender. This means that they are written in the same way whatever the gender of the noun they qualify.

Examples :

• Un chico inteligente. An intelligent boy.
• Una chica inteligente. An intelligent girl.

Exceptions

Qualifying adjectives ending in “-or”, “-ol”, “-ón”, “-án”, “-ín” and “-és” (except for “cortés”) have a final “-a” added when they qualify a feminine noun.

Examples :

• Jean es un nombre francés. Jean is a French name.
• Josefina lee poesía española. Josefina reads Spanish poetry.
• Martina no fue cortés contigo. Martina was not courteous to you.

Adjectives that end in « -e »

Qualifying adjectives ending in “-e” are invariable in gender.

Examples :

• Un traje verde. A green suit.
• Una chaqueta verde. A green jacket.

Agreement in number

When an adjective qualifies a noun in the plural it takes the plural mark.

Regular qualifying adjectives

In the feminine and masculine, the plural of qualifying adjectives is formed with the ending “-s”.

Examples :

• Carlos cocina postres muy ricos. Carlos cooks very good desserts.
• Juan escribe cartas románticas. Juan writes romantic letters.

Adjectives that end in a consonant, “- í” or “-ú”

When a qualifying adjective ends with a consonant, “- í” or “-ú”, add “-es” at the end of the word.

Examples :

• Me gusta el vino francés. → Me gustan los vinos franceses. I like French wine. → I like French wines.
• Me encanta la música hindú. → Me encantan las músicas hindúes. I love Hindu music. → I love Hindu musics.

Adjectives that end in “-z”

For qualifying adjectives that end in “-z”, the plural is constructed as “-ces”.

Example :

• Juan es un niño feliz. → Juan y Roberto son niños felices. Juan est un enfant heureux. → Juan et Roberto sont des enfants heureux.

👉 Practice now!

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Tags: Grammar