¿Bueno o malo? Good or Bad? Basic Descriptions of Things in Spanish
In this post you’ll learn some basic descriptions of things in Spanish. That means that you’ll learn how to use Spanish adjectives to describe things. First you’ll learn colors in Spanish along with some examples. Then you’ll learn other common adjectives you can use to give descriptions of things in Spanish. Along the way, we’ll point out a few important grammar points to keep in mind when you’re using Spanish adjectives.
Colors in Spanish
First let’s start with colors: negro/negra black; blanco/blanca white; rojo/roja red; azul blue; amarillo/amarilla yellow; verde green; marrón brown; gris gray.
- ¿De qué color es?
What color is it? - El perro es negro.
The dog is black. - El gato es blanco.
The cat is white. - Nuestro carro/coche/auto es azul.
Our car is blue. - La bandera de colombia es amarillo, azul, y rojo.
The Colombian flag is yellow, blue, and red.
GRAMMAR TIP!
By the way, remember that Spanish adjectives agree with the noun they describe. The typical pattern is –o (masculine singular), –a (feminine singular), –os (masculine plural), –as (feminine plural.)
- un perro negro, dos perros negros
one black dog, two black dogs - una serpiente negra, dos serpientes negras
one black snake, two black snakes
However, if the adjective ends in a consonant, there’s just one form in the singular, and both the masculine and feminine plural end in –es.
- un coche azul, dos coches azules
one blue car, two blue cars - una serpiente gris, dos serpientes grises
one gray snake, two gray snakes
For more information on adjective agreement, check out this post.
Other Common Spanish Adjectives
Next, let’s look at several other important basic adjectives: bueno/buena good; malo/mala bad; grande big; pequeño/pequeña small; bonito/bonita beautiful; feo/fea ugly; viejo/vieja old; nuevo/nueva new; largo/larga long; corto/corta short; alto/alta high; bajo/baja low; vacío/vacía empty; lleno/llena full; ancho/ancha wide; estrecho/estrecha narrow; duro/dura hard; suave soft; difícil difficult; fácil easy.
- Este restaurante es bueno/malo.
This restaurant is good/bad. - Es un buen restaurante.
It’s a good restaurant. - La película es vieja/nueva.
The film is old/new. - Es un gran día.
It’s a big/important/great day. - La ciudad es hermosa/grande.
The city is beautiful/big. - La calle es ancha/angosta.
The street is wide/narrow. - La cama está dura/suave.
The bed is hard/soft. - El vaso está lleno/vacío.
The glass is full/empty.
GRAMMAR TIP!
Adjectives that end in -e in the singular only have two forms; -e in the singular and –es in the plural, regardless of gender.
- una cama suave
a soft bed - camas suaves
soft beds
Most adjectives in Spanish come after the noun they modify: una película vieja (an old movie). But a few common ones that show appreciation or admiration come before:
- un buen escritor / una buena escritora
a good writer - un gran hombre / una gran mujer
a great man/woman
Notice also that bueno becomes buen, and grande becomes gran, when used before the noun.
Get on the road to speaking Spanish with the Language Garage!
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about basic descriptions of things in Spanish. Now you know colors in Spanish along with some other common Spanish adjectives. If you’d like to learn more, check out our other posts on Spanish language, culture, and more. And if you’re looking for convenient and affordable live Spanish lessons with a real teacher, visit The Language Garage. Our lessons are affordable and fun, and they’re given online in a virtual classroom, so it doesn’t matter where you live or work – we can come to you. We have flexible options, with a free trial so that you can decide if there’s a fit. Check us out!
