B1 Spanish GrammarAdvanced Adjective Usage
Master advanced Spanish adjective structures: nominalized adjectives, adjective clauses, participial adjectives, and complex adjective phrases. Use adjectives with sophistication and precision.
1Nominalized Adjectives
Adjectives can become nouns with definite articles: el/la + adjective. Lo + adjective creates abstract nouns ('the ... thing/part'). This avoids repetition and adds sophistication.
Nominalization Patterns
| Structure | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| el/la + adj | el joven, la rubia | the young man, the blonde woman |
| los/las + adj | los ricos, las pobres | the rich, the poor women |
| lo + adj | lo importante | the important thing |
| uno/una + adj | uno nuevo | a new one |
Examples
Los jóvenes prefieren las redes sociales.
Young people prefer social media.
los jóvenes = young people
Lo malo es que no tenemos tiempo.
The bad thing is we don't have time.
lo + adjective (abstract)
¿Quieres el azul o el rojo?
Do you want the blue one or the red one?
replaces el [noun] azul
Lo difícil es empezar.
The difficult part is starting.
lo difícil = the difficult thing
2Participial Adjectives
Past participles function as adjectives, agreeing in gender and number. Present participles (-ante/-iente) are also adjectives. Some participles have become true adjectives with slightly different meanings.
Participial Forms as Adjectives
| Verb | Participle/Adjective | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cansar | cansado/a | Estoy cansada |
| aburrir | aburrido/a | Una película aburrida |
| interesar | interesante | Un libro interesante |
| sorprender | sorprendente | Noticias sorprendentes |
| preocupar | preocupado/a | Padres preocupados |
Examples
La puerta está cerrada.
The door is closed.
past participle as adjective
Fueron noticias sorprendentes.
It was surprising news.
-ente ending (from sorprender)
Estoy aburrido de esperar.
I'm bored of waiting.
aburrido (feeling)
Los niños dormidos no oyeron nada.
The sleeping children didn't hear anything.
dormido as adjective
3Adjective Position and Meaning
Some adjectives change meaning depending on position. Before noun = subjective/figurative; after noun = objective/literal. Word order affects emphasis and style in Spanish.
Position-Dependent Meaning
| Before Noun | After Noun |
|---|---|
| un gran hombre (great) | un hombre grande (big/tall) |
| un viejo amigo (longtime) | un amigo viejo (elderly) |
| un pobre hombre (unfortunate) | un hombre pobre (poor) |
| la única hija (only) | la hija única (only child) |
| cierta información (some) | información cierta (true) |
| un nuevo coche (new to owner) | un coche nuevo (brand new) |
Examples
Es una gran actriz pero no es una actriz grande.
She's a great actress but not a big/tall actress.
gran vs grande
Mi viejo profesor sigue siendo joven.
My former teacher is still young.
viejo = former (before)
Tenemos ciertos problemas con eso.
We have certain/some problems with that.
ciertos = some (before)
Me compré un coche nuevo.
I bought a brand new car.
nuevo after = brand new
4Complex Adjective Phrases
Adjectives can be modified by adverbs or followed by complements. De + noun creates compound adjectives. Tan/muy intensify; nada/poco diminish. Position rules still apply.
Complex Adjective Structures
| Structure | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| adj + de + noun | lleno de gente | full of people |
| adj + de + infinitive | difícil de hacer | difficult to do |
| muy/tan + adj | muy interesante | very interesting |
| adj + para + noun | bueno para la salud | good for health |
| nada/poco + adj | nada fácil | not at all easy |
Examples
Esto es fácil de entender.
This is easy to understand.
adj + de + infinitive
La sala estaba llena de gente.
The room was full of people.
lleno + de + noun
Es extremadamente difícil de conseguir.
It's extremely difficult to get.
adverb + adj + de + inf
No es nada fácil vivir solo.
It's not at all easy to live alone.
nada + adjective (emphatic neg)