Most adjectives in Spanish go after the noun which they qualify or modify, although there are many exceptions, and the language gives its students plenty of flexibility without necessarily violating some especially-thorny grammatical point.
Some adjectives go before the noun, others can go before or after, and still others change their meaning depending on whether they precede or follow the noun.
One more or less reliable rule-of-thumb is that adjectives which differentiate an object from others of its kind —el coche azul (the blue car), la mesa redonda (the round table)— are placed after the noun; while those that underscore the quality of a thing precede the noun—una gran idea (a great idea), un perfecto caballero (a perfect gentleman), qué lindos niños (what lovely children).
Some examples of adjectives that precede the noun are those of quantity or number. Los primeros días del mes (the first days of the month), el cuarto poder (the fourth estate).
Adjectives of color, shape, and status almost always go after the noun, although even here there is poetic license. Others can go quite comfortably before or after—La próxima semana (next week) or la semana próxima are equally acceptable. Likewise, una ola enorme (a giant wave) or una enorme ola are both correct.
There are also adjectives that have different meanings depending whether they are applied before or after the noun they modify:
Es la única lámpara que tengo (It’s the only lamp I have); Esa lámpara es única (That lamp is unique);
Él es un perfecto tonto (He is an unmitigated fool); Fue un día perfecto (It was a perfect day).
En la tienda venden puro jugo (In the shop they only sell juice); En la tienda venden jugo puro (In the shop they sell pure [unadulterated] juice).
Set expressions such as bellas artes (fine arts) have the adjective first. Buenas noches (less common, but also used, is buena noche) is good night, while Noche Buena means Christmas Eve.
In some cases, choosing whether to put the adjective before or after the noun can depend on whether you want to impress upon the listener the thing itself or the quality of it. Un tremendo ruido (a tremendous noise) suggests noise is objectionable, while un ruido tremendo stresses how loud it was. This is somewhat subjective, although writers —and especially poets— will move the order around for effect.
When several adjectives are applied, they can be grouped before, after, or on either side of the noun, usually following the same rules and patterns as single adjectives, although it’s unusual to string several together as you would in English without “y” in-between: It was a cold windy day—Fue un día frío y ventoso; Beautiful red leaves— Hermosas hojas rojas; The last gray autumn days—Los últimos días grises de otoño.
As examples here indicate, adjectives follow the same endings rules as nouns for masculine and feminine, singular and plural. One irregularity: Mi tercer aniversario—My third anniversary; but Rey Ricardo Tercero de Inglaterra—King Richard the Third of England. El primer capítulo—The first chapter; but el capítulo primero.
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Majina mengi ya kipekee katika Kihispania huenda baada ya jina ambalo wanastahili au kurekebisha, ingawa kuna ubaguzi mwingi, na lugha hiyo huwapa wanafunzi wake kubadilika-badilika sana bila lazima kuvunja hatua fulani ya sarufi yenye mti. Baadhi ya sifa huenda kabla ya jina, nyingine zinaweza kwenda kabla au baada, na nyingine bado hubadilisha maana yao kulingana na kama zinafuata au zinafuata jina. "Sheria moja ya kuaminika zaidi au chini ni kwamba sifa ambazo hutofautisha kitu kutoka kwa wengine wa aina yake - ""el coche azul"" (gari la bluu), ""la mesa redonda"" (meza ya mviringo) - huwekwa baada ya jina; wakati zile ambazo zinaangazia ubora wa kitu hufuata jina ""una gran idea"" (wazo kubwa), "un perfecto caballero" (mtu kamilifu), "quéos lindos niños" (watoto wazuri)." Mifano fulani ya sifa zinazotangulia jina ni zile za wingi au idadi. Los primeros días del mes (siku za kwanza za mwezi), el cuarto poder (hali ya nne). Majina ya cheo ya rangi, umbo, na cheo karibu sikuzote hufuata jina, ingawa hata hapa kuna ruhusa ya kishairi. Wengine wanaweza kwenda vizuri sana kabla au baada ya <unk> La próxima semana (juma lijalo) au la semana próxima ni sawa kukubaliwa. Vivyo hivyo, una ola enorme (wimbi kubwa) au una enorme ola zote mbili ni sahihi. Pia kuna sifa ambazo zina maana tofauti kulingana na kama zinatumiwa kabla au baada ya jina wanalofanya marekebisho: Es la única lámpara que tengo (Ni taa pekee ninayo); Esa lámpara es única (Nambari hiyo ni ya kipekee); Él es un perfecto tonto (Yeye ni mpumbavu kamili); Fue un día perfecto (Ilikuwa siku kamilifu). En la tienda venden puro jugo (Katika duka wao kuuza tu juisi); En la tienda venden jugo puro (Katika duka wao kuuza safi [unadulterated] juisi). Maneno ya seti kama vile bellas artes (sanaa nzuri) yana sifa ya kwanza. Buenas noches (sawa, lakini pia hutumiwa, ni buena noche) ni usiku mzuri, wakati Noche Buena inamaanisha Jioni ya Krismasi. Katika baadhi ya visa, kuchagua kama kuweka sifa kabla au baada ya jina inaweza kutegemea kama unataka kuvutia juu ya msikilizaji kitu yenyewe au ubora wake. Un tremendo ruido (sauti kubwa) inaonyesha kwamba kelele ni ya kukataliwa, huku un ruido tremendo ikisisitiza jinsi ilivyokuwa kubwa. Hii ni kiasi fulani subjective, ingawa waandishi <unk>na hasa washairi<unk> itabadilisha utaratibu kuzunguka kwa athari. Wakati sifa kadhaa zinatumiwa, zinaweza kuunganishwa kabla, baada, au pande zote mbili za jina, kwa kawaida ikifuata sheria na mifumo sawa na sifa moja, ingawa ni ya kawaida kuunganisha kadhaa pamoja kama unavyofanya kwa Kiingereza bila <unk>y<unk> kati: Ilikuwa siku ya baridi yenye upepo <unk>Fue un día frío y ventoso; Majani mazuri mekundu <unk> Hermosas hojas rojas; Siku za mwisho za kijivu za vuli <unk>Los últimos días grises de otoño. Kama mfano hapa unavyoonyesha, sifa hufuata sheria zilezile za mwisho kama majina ya kiume na ya kike, ya pekee na ya wingi. Uhalifu mmoja: Mi tercer aniversario <unk> Maadhimisho ya miaka yangu ya tatu; lakini Rey Ricardo Tercero de Inglaterra <unk> Mfalme Richard wa Tatu wa Uingereza. El primer capítuloSura ya kwanza; lakini el capítulo primero. Mexico katika sanduku lako la barua pepe Barua yetu ya bure ya habari kuhusu Mexico inakuletea muhtasari wa kila mwezi wa hadithi na fursa zilizochapishwa hivi karibuni, pamoja na vito kutoka kwenye kumbukumbu zetu.