Clear Spanish grammar
Spanish adjective agreement: gender and number
Spanish adjectives describe nouns and usually show whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
How it works
Understand the pattern
An adjective ending in -o normally changes to -a with a feminine noun and adds -s in the plural. Adjectives ending in -e or many consonants usually keep one form for gender but still change for number.
When one adjective describes several nouns, the plural is required. A group containing at least one masculine noun traditionally takes a masculine plural adjective: el libro y la revista nuevos.
The essentials
Three rules that clear up the confusion
- 1
Change -o to -a for feminine agreement: un libro nuevo, una casa nueva.
- 2
Add -s after an unstressed vowel and usually -es after a consonant: interesantes, fáciles.
- 3
Use the plural when the adjective describes more than one noun, even if each noun is singular.
Compare
Examples in complete sentences
Common mistakes
What to check before you answer
- 1
Do not make adjectives agree with the speaker; they agree with the noun they describe.
- 2
Adjectives ending in -ista usually have one singular form for both genders: un alumno optimista, una alumna optimista.
Go beyond reading
Practise the rule through the guided course route
A short explanation, a task, answer checking and a direct return to the paragraph needed after a mistake.