adjectivesin

Adjectives in linguistics are a word class that modifies nouns or pronouns, conveying properties such as color, size, material, or origin. They can be attributive, appearing before or after the noun (as in the red car or the car red with unusual emphasis), or predicative, following a linking verb (the car is red). Adjectives also support distinction by degree, quality, and evaluation in different contexts.

Agreement and inflection vary across languages. In many languages, adjectives agree with the noun in gender, number, and sometimes case. For example, German shows das rote Auto (neuter singular with a specific ending) and die roten Autos (plural). Spanish marks masculine or feminine and singular or plural. In others, such as English or Mandarin, adjectives do not inflect for noun features and remain the same across nouns.

Position and order within noun phrases differ as well. English typically places adjectives before the noun (the red car). Some languages allow post-nominal adjectives or impose fixed sequences when multiple adjectives occur (for instance, opinion before size and color in certain constructions). Others preferentially place adjectives after the noun, especially in noun–adjective orders common in several Romance languages.

Degrees of comparison are a standard property of many adjectives. Most form comparative and superlative forms via inflection (bigger, biggest) or periphrastic means (more beautiful, most beautiful). Irregular forms (good/better/best) and non-gradable adjectives also occur in various languages.

Overall, adjectives enrich meaning by specifying attributes, enabling comparison, and interacting with syntax and morphology in language. They are a central focus in language learning, typology, and natural language processing due to their variability in form and placement.