what is it?
In Spanish, a descriptive adjective must agree with the noun it modifies in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This means the adjective's ending changes to reflect the noun it describes. Adjectives that describe nationality — called gentilicios — follow the same rule, though a small group of them are invariable and never change their ending.
when to use it
Apply agreement every time an adjective modifies or describes a noun — whether the adjective follows the verb ser or stands directly next to the noun.
Attributive position (next to the noun): The adjective normally comes after the noun in Spanish. It must agree with that noun in gender and number.
Predicative position (after ser/estar): When the adjective is separated from the noun by a copula, agreement still applies: Mi amiga es española.
Nationality adjectives (gentilicios): Most add -a in the feminine (e.g. español → española). Those ending in -í (e.g. marroquí) are invariable: the same form is used for masculine and feminine.
formation
Most descriptive adjectives have a masculine singular base form. The other forms are built from it according to the pattern below.
| masculine singular | feminine singular | masculine plural | feminine plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| español | española | españoles | españolas |
| inglés | inglesa | ingleses | inglesas |
| alemán | alemana | alemanes | alemanas |
| marroquí | marroquí | marroquíes | marroquíes |
Adjectives ending in -í do not add -a in the feminine. The only change they undergo is the addition of -es in the plural.
For adjectives that end in a consonant (like español or inglés), the feminine is formed by adding -a directly to the masculine form (dropping any written accent on the final syllable if present: inglés → inglesa).
examples in context
common pitfalls
Forgetting to add -a to consonant-ending gentilicios in the feminine.
Adjectives like español, inglés, and alemán require a feminine form. Writing «una amiga español» is incorrect; the correct form is «una amiga española».
Adding -a to invariable gentilicios ending in -í.
Adjectives like marroquí do not change in the feminine. «Una amiga marroquía» does not exist; the correct form is «una amiga marroquí».
Placing the adjective before the noun by analogy with English.
In English, adjectives precede the noun («a Spanish friend»). In Spanish, descriptive adjectives normally follow it. «Una española amiga» sounds unnatural; the standard order is «una amiga española».
Three sentences, graded here. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.
Mi ciudad tiene una línea de metro ___ . (nuevo)
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the adjective in parentheses.