Spanish adjective agreement: gender and number
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
English adjectives normally stay unchanged: a small house, two small houses. Spanish adjectives usually change to match the noun they describe. The important clues are grammatical gender and singular or plural number, not the person speaking.
Start with the noun, not the speaker
In Spanish, the noun controls agreement. Compare un libro rojo with una casa roja. The adjective rojo changes because libro is masculine and casa is feminine. For many adjectives ending in -o, use -a with feminine singular nouns, -os with masculine plural nouns and -as with feminine plural nouns. This is unlike English, where red never changes. Try identifying the article and noun before selecting the adjective ending; that prevents guessing from the English translation.
Adjectives that do not change for gender
An adjective ending in -e often keeps the same form for masculine and feminine nouns: un examen importante and una reunión importante. The plural adds -s: exámenes importantes and reuniones importantes. Many adjectives ending in a consonant also keep one gender form, as in un coche azul and una bicicleta azul, with the plural azules. There are exceptions, including adjectives of nationality, so treat endings as useful patterns rather than universal rules.
Where adjectives go
Most descriptive Spanish adjectives follow the noun: una ciudad tranquila, un profesor paciente. Some common adjectives precede nouns and can change meaning or shorten, as in un buen amigo but un amigo bueno. Do not assume every English adjective order can be copied into Spanish. When writing a sentence, first decide what the noun is, then its gender and number, and only then choose the adjective form and its natural position.
Practice with complete noun phrases
Translate the entire idea rather than an isolated adjective. Two red houses becomes dos casas rojas, while three interesting books becomes tres libros interesantes. Listen for the plural ending on both noun and adjective. When a learner says las casas rojo, the article and noun already signal feminine plural, so the adjective should be rojas. Correcting agreement in short, spoken phrases builds a habit that also improves writing and listening comprehension.
| Noun phrase | Agreement clue | English |
|---|---|---|
| el coche blanco | masculine singular | the white car |
| las puertas blancas | feminine plural | the white doors |
| un problema difĂcil | same adjective for both genders | a difficult problem |
| unos exámenes difĂciles | plural -es | some difficult exams |
Quick self-check
Complete: una mesa (blanco / blanca).
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blanca
Complete: dos libros (interesante / interesantes).
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interesantes
Translate: the red houses.
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las casas rojas
Is importante different in un examen importante and una prueba importante?
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No, the singular form is importante in both.
Correct: los coches roja.
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los coches rojos