Adjetivo

Adjetivo is the term used in Spanish grammar for the word class that modifies a noun or pronoun to express properties, qualities, origin, or quantity. In many languages, adjectives provide essential descriptive information and help specify which instance of a noun is being referred to.

In Spanish, adjectives usually agree with the noun in gender and number. For example: una casa grande (feminine, singular), los coches rojos (masculine, plural), las flores rojas. Adjectives can appear after the noun (casa roja) or, less commonly, before the noun with nuance or emphasis (una gran casa). The latter use often changes the meaning or mood rather than describing a different property. Adjectives also participate in predicative position: La casa es roja.

Adjectives can express different degrees of comparison. Most Spanish adjectives form comparatives with más/menos or irregular forms: alto → más alto or mayor, pequeño → menor. For superlatives, phrases like el más alto or el menor are common, and some irregular adjectives have special forms (bueno → mejor, malo → peor).

Beyond Spanish, adjectives vary in position and inflection across languages. Some languages place adjectives before the noun as a default, others primarily after; many inflect for gender, number, or case, while others do not. In some languages, adjectives are derived from participles or other sources and may function statically or dynamically in syntax.

Overall, adjetivos are central to attributing properties to nouns, shaping meaning through agreement, position, and degree.