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Unusual Spanish Adjectives


I would call an adjective that goes at the end of a word that changes in gender if it ends in 'o' or in the plural, a normal adjective.
I have tried to list all the unusual ones here, as best I can that either don't change (like estándar), preceede a noun (like bueno), change the meaning depending on the position (like nuevo) or an unexpected use with ser/estar (like listo).
"No change" means that the adjective doesn't change in gender or in the plural e.g. Las ratas macho.
If an adjective acts like 'uno' then this means that you drop the final 'o' before the noun (un coche, una mesa, unos coches, unas mesas) but the stress is in the same place and may need an accent.
Word1 + NOUN + Word2 means that the definition changes depending on it's position e.g.
El sábado es el único día que puedo llamarte = Saturday is the only day that I can call you
Es un diamante único = It's a unique diamond

Abierto: Ser abierto = to be open (in character). Estar aburrido = to be open (a door etc.)
Aburrido: Ser aburrido = to be boring. Estar aburrido = to be bored.
Alerta: No change (optional plural - alertas). This means alert/watchful
Alguno: Acts like 'uno'
Ambos: Both + NOUN (usually literally, use Los dos instead)
Antiguo: Former +NOUN + old (ancient)
Ardiendo: No change
Atento: Ser atento = to be attentive. Estar atento = to pay attention.
Bueno: Acts like 'uno'. Also Ser bueno = to be good. Estar bueno = to be in good health or to taste good or just a general comment on a situation. Note the difference in position: good (without comparing) + NOUN + good (comparing something) e.g. "no digo que sea una cosa buena, ni mala" or "podría hacer una lista de masajistas buenos". I usually see it in front of the noun e.g. "es una buena idea". Use 'estar bien' to give a general comment about a situation: ha hecho un pastel, lo que está bien = you've made a cake, which is good
Caliente: Ser caliente = to be randy
Cansado: Ser cansado = to be tiresome. Estar cansado = to be tired.
Ciento: Change to cien before a plural noun. This means 100 and ciento is used in percentages (el veinte por ciento) and before another number (ciento dos) but use cien at all other times. Hay más de cien = there are more than one hundred
Cierto: Certain (particular) + NOUN + certain (sure, definite e.g. success)
Concreto: ¿Podría ser más concreto? = Could you be more specific? (or ¿puedes puntualizar?). Era una tarjeta: una tarjeta inalámbrico para ser más preciso = It was a keyboard, a wireless keyboard to be more specific / precise.
Consciente: Ser consciente = aware. Estar consciente = to be concious (not knocked out)
Cualquiera: Change to cualquier before a singular noun. The plural is cualesquiera (Cualquier casa = any house, un periodico cualquiera = any newspaper)
Delicado: Ser delicado = to be delicate. Estar adelicado = to be suffering from ill health.
Desgraciado: Ser descraciado can mean "to be miserable/unfortunate/wreched"
Despierto: Ser despierto = to be sharp witted or clever. Estar despierto = to be awake.
Dichoso: darn + NOUN + lucky / happy - I'm not sure about this word since it can mean 'lucky / fortunate'
Diferente: Various + NOUN + different
Escarlata: No change. It means 'scarlet'
Esmeralda: (meaning emerald) no change
Estándar: No change. It means 'standard' but as a noun, it has a plural
Felíz: Ser felíz = to be happy
Grande: change to gran before a singular noun (but not after it). Great + NOUN + big.
Grave: Ser grave = to be serious (personality). Estar grave = to be seriously ill.
Hembra: No change. It means female (animal)
Hirviendo: No change. It means 'boiling'
Interesado: Ser interesado = to be self-seeking or selfish. Estar interesado = to be interested.
Listo: Ser listo = to be clever. Estar listo = to be ready.
Llamado: So-called + NOUN
Macho: No change. This means 'male'
Malo: Acts like 'uno'. Ser malo = to be bad. Estar malo = to be ill / bad (when describing food). Note the difference in position: bad (without comparing) + NOUN + bad (comparing something) e.g. "era una mala idea" or "... su único día malo en la carrera". You can use 'estar mal' which gives a general comment on a situation that seems bad or wrong. Using 'mal' here is an adverb.
Malva: No change. It means 'mauve'
Mayor: biggest (abstract size) + NOUN + older. Use 'más grande' with physical size.
Medio: Half + NOUN + average
Menor: Slightest / smallest (abstract size) + NOUN + youngest. Use 'menos pequeño' with physical size.
Mero: mere + NOUN
Mismo: Same + NOUN + precisely / -self (the thing itself) e.g. usted mismo - yourself. Also "en la casa misma" = "in the house itself"
Modelo: No change. It means model, as in 'exemplary'
Moreno: Ser moreno = to be dark haired. Estar moreno = to be suntanned
Mostaza: (mustard colour) no change
Mucho: A lot of + NOUN
Muerto: Estar muerto = to be dead
Naranja: No feminine or plural form. It means 'orange' (also as a noun too)
Ninguno: Acts like 'uno' (keep the stress in the same place - Ningún ...) + NOUN
Nuevo: New/another/fresh + NOUN + brand new. Ser nuevo = to be new. Estar nuevo = to look or feel new.
Orgulloso: Ser orgulloso = to be proud/haughty. Estar orgulloso = to be proud (of something)
Otro: Another + NOUN (not preceeded by el/la but: el otro / la otra = the other one)
Paja: (straw) no change
Pequeño: Usually preceedes the noun. It means 'small'
Pesado: Ser pesado = to be heavy (thing). Estar pesado = to be boring (person)
Pleno: mid.../total + NOUN
Pobre: (Ser/estar) wreched / unfortunate + NOUN +poor (not rich)
Poco: Little/few + NOUN
Postrero: Acts like 'uno' and means 'last'. Does this mean the same as último?
Preciso: ser + preciso, si es preciso iré yo mismo = I'll go by myself if necessary, no es preciso que salgas = there's no need for you to leave. Es preciso tener coche = It's essential to have a car.
Primero: Acts like 'uno' and means 'first'
Propio: Own + NOUN + appropriate/of one's ownership
Puro: sheer/mere/just/merely + NOUN + pure (clean)
Rosa: No change. This means 'rose/pink coloured'
Rico: Ser rico = to be rich. Estar rico = to be delicious. I think you can say Estar rico for "to be rich" too
Santo: Changes to San + Name except names starting with Do... or To... for better pronunciation.
Sarcástico: Ser Sarcástico = to be sarcastic
Seguro: Ser seguro = to be safe. Estar seguro = (describing a person) to be sure, certain
Simple: Just /mere + NOUN + simple minded
Solo: Only + NOUN + lonely
Tabú: No change - note this can be used as a noun too - los tabúes (formal) tabús (informal)
Tanto: So much + NOUN. This can also function as a noun, adverb and pronoun.
Tercero: Acts like 'uno' +NOUN and means 'third'
Triste: Dreadful + NOUN + sad
Turquesa: No change. It means 'turquoise'
Ultravioleta: No change. It means 'ultraviolet'
Único: Only + NOUN + unique
Uno: Drop the 'o' before a masculine singular noun
Varios: Several + NOUN + various/different
Verde: Ser verde = to be green (in colour) or smutty. Estar verde = to be unripe
Viejo: Old (long known) + NOUN + old (aged) but it's more polite to use anciano when talking about people
Violeta: No change
Vivo: Ser vivo = to be alert, lively or intelligent. Estar vivo = to be alive

Some words use 'tener' meaning 'to have' rather than using ser / estar as you might have expected:
Tener... Translates as 'to be...'
calor hot (a person feeling hot) but 'hace calor' = 'the weather's hot' and 'estar caliente' = 'it's hot' (object)
celos (de alguien) jealous (of somebody) or use 'estar celoso de alguien' (meaning to be jealous, zealous or suspicious... of somebody)
cuidado cautious / careful
envidia a envious of - or you can use the verb envidiar
frío cold (a person feeling cold) - see calor
hambre hungry
ganas de in to mood to do
Tengo ganas de visitar a mis amigos = I feel like visiting my friends
la culpa to blame
No tengo la culpa = I'm not to blame
lugar taking place
La reunión tiene lugar en esta sala = the meeting is taking place in this room
miedo
de + objects
a + person
frightened (of)
This has a subjunctive use if you use 'que' - see the article on Verbs with Subjunctive

Le tiene miedo al perro = She's frightened of the dog
Teníamos miedo de hablar = We were frightened to speak
Also:
Dar miedo = to frighten
A Miguel le dan miedo las arañas = Spiders frighten Miguel
Here, 'A Miguel' is the clarifier to who you mean by 'le' and 'las arañas' is the subject of the sentence.
n años to be n years old
paciencia con alguien patient with somebody - the adjective is 'paciente'
prisa in a hurry (also date / daos / dese etc. +  prisa) = hurry up!
razón right / correct
sed thirsty
sueño sleepy
(buena / mala) suerte lucky
Tenemos muy buena suerte = we have very good luck
Also: Esta situación no tiene remedio = This situation has no way around it
 Any more?

[ENGLISH] Are there any errors or do you want to add more information to these pages?
You can contact me at the bottom of the home page.

ESPAÑOL ¿Hay errores o tiene información adicional?
Puede mandarme un mensaje al final de la página principal

Home page / Página principal