Placement of adjectives
When they modify a noun, adjectives are normally placed after it,
Es una habitación pequeña.
It's a small room.
Conozco un hotel bonito.
I know a nice hotel.
However, to add emphasis, we may place the adjective before the noun.
Es una pequeña habitación.
It's a small room.
Conozco un bonito hotel.
I know a nice hotel.
We may also choose to place some adjectives before or after a noun depending on the meaning we wish to convey.
| After | Before | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antiguo | Old | Previous | Un barrio antiguo An old area Mi antiguo barrio My old area |
| Malo | Evil | Bad | Un hombre malo An evil man Un mal día A bad day |
| Grande | Large (size) | Great (qualities) | Un bolso grande A large bag Una gran doctora A great doctor |
| Único | Unique | Only (one) | Un amigo único A unique friend Un único vestido A single dress |
| Pobre | With no money | Unfortunate | Un país pobre A poor country ¡Pobre hombre! Poor man! |
Still facing difficulties with 'Placement of adjectives'? Learn and enhance your Spanish grammar through our online Spanish course. Start with a free test and improve today!
What our users say:
Improve your Spanish further and test Hotel Borbollón, online Spanish lessons.
