Adjective Order
Spanish: AQA A Level, topic 15.4.1
Orden del adjetivo - Adjective Order
In Spanish, adjectives generally come after the noun.
Adjective order
- Adjectives generally come after the noun
- el libro rojo - the red book
- los jardines grandes - the large gardens
Exclamative adjectives
- However, not all adjectives are descriptive, some are exclamative such as Qué and Cuánto
- These are words that may express a strong feeling (either negative or positive).
- ¡Qué pena! - What a shame!
- ¡Que alegría! - How lovely!
Examples
- ¡Qué pena que no pudiste celebrar el cumpleaños de tu papá!
- What a shame that you couldn’t celebrate your Dad's birthday.
- ¡Cuánto me alegra verte tan pronto!
- I’m so happy to see you so soon!
Adjetivos descriptivos - Descriptive Adjectives
In Spanish, adjectives generally come after the noun.
Adjective Order
- Descriptive adjectives generally come after the noun.
- el libro rojo - the red book
- los jardines grandes - the large gardens
Exceptions
- However, there are exceptions to this rule.
- With some adjectives, positioning can change its meaning.
- la casa antigua - the old house
- in this case, the house is old, it's been there for a long time.
- mi antigua casa - my old house
- in this case, it means that this is the house they lived in before moving out.
Exceptions
- Changing the adjective order is also used to emphasize a noun or make it more poetic.
- la linda flor - the beautiful flower
- un buen profesor - a good teacher
Examples
- Mi casa blanca no es tan bonita como la tuya.
- My white house isn’t as beautiful as yours.
- Mi hija mayor se llama Beatriz. Tendrá dieciocho años el mes qué viene.
- My eldest daughter is called Beatrice. She will be eighteen next month.
Test yourself on Adjective Order
How do you say 'what a shame!' in Spanish?