adjective placement

Overview
In English, adjectives usually precede, or go before, the noun they describe. In Spanish, most of the
time, it is the opposite. In general, adjectives follow the nouns they describe.

Me gustan las flores rojas. (I like red flowers.)

Mi hermano es un hombre alto. (My brother is a tall man.)

Prefiero el caf negro. (I prefer black coffee.)

There are several exceptions to this rule which are explained below.

Adjective Placement Exceptions

For the following instances, the adjective is placed in front of the noun it describes.
1. Descriptive adjectives that emphasize an essential quality of a noun
An essential quality of a noun is something that is implicitly obvious about a noun even without the
adjective being present.

El valiente len protege su territorio. (The brave lion protects his territory.)

La dulce miel es deliciosa en pan tostado. (Sweet honey is delicious on toast.)

Las verdes hojas del rbol cantan en el viento. (The green leaves of the tree sing in the
breeze.)

2. Limiting adjectives that define a number or amount of a noun, even if it is not specific.

Los nios quieren ocho helados. (The children want eight ice creams.)

Tengo menos dinero que mi hermana. (I have less money than my sister.)

Hay pocas naranjas este verano. (There are few oranges this summer.)

Tienes suficiente tiempo. (You have sufficient time.)

Below you will find a list of common limiting adjectives. Remember that all numbers are limiting
adjectives as well.
Limiting Adjectives

alguno
bastante
cuanto
demasiado

some
enough
as much
too much

mucho
ninguno
poco
suficiente
varios

a lot
no, none
a little
sufficient, enough
various, some, a few

3. Possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, etc.) or demonstrative adjectives (ese, este, aqul).

Mi hermana es alta. (My sister is tall.)

Nuestro perro es muy amable. (Our dog is very friendly.)

Este rbol tiene muchas manzanas. (This tree has a lot of apples.)

Estas sillas son cmodas. (These chairs are comfortable.)

4. Meaning-changing adjectives
Some adjectives can mean different things depending on their placement around the noun they
modify. When placed after the noun like normal, the adjective carries a fairly objective, descriptive
meaning. When placed before the noun, the adjective carries a more subjective, opinionated meaning.

Cien aos de soledad es un gran libro. (One Hundred Years of Solitude is a great book.)

Yo tengo una casa grande. (I have a big house.)

Pablo es mi viejo amigo. (Pablo is my long-time friend.)

Juanita es mi amiga vieja. (Juanita is my elderly friend.)

Below you will find a list of common meaning-changing adjectives with their meanings when they are
placed before and after the noun.

alto
antiguo
bajo
bueno
cierto
cualquier
diferente
distinto
dulce
grande
mismo
nuevo
pobre
propio
puro
raro
simple

before the noun

top/high-class
old/former/ancient
of low quality
simple/good
certain
any (of those available)
various
various
good/nice
great
same
another /newlyacquired
unfortunate
his/her own
sheer/ nothing but
rare
mere

after the noun

tall
antique
short
good/gentle/generous
true/right
any (type doesnt matter)
different
different
sweet
big
himself/herself
new /newlymade
poor
especially for someone
pure
strange
simple / modest

slo
triste
nico
varios
viejo

one
dreadful
only
several
former/long-time

lonely
sad
unique
different
old/aged