Adejctives And Adverbs Flashcards
Do adjectives need to agree with the noun and where are they positioned in relation to the noun?
yes they must agree e.g. el zapato rojo la bota negra los zapatos rojos las botas negras.
Adjectives are normally placed after the noun, but there are some exceptions. Following adjectives placed before the noun and also lose their final -o when the following noun is masculine singular.
Algún/alguno alguna algunos algunas
mal/malo
ningún/ ninguno
primer/ primero
tercer/ tercero
The adjective grande loses the final -de before a singular noun masculine and feminine
el gran hermano, Una gran casa
Some adjectives can be used as nouns: Pacho y sus amigos son chilenos - adjective, Los chilenos tienen sus propias tradiciones- noun
How do you form comparatives, compare two things and form superlatives?
To form comparatives use más + adjective/ adverb:
Esta plancha es más potente - this iron is more powerful than
Con esta, planchas más fácilmente - with this one you iron more easily
To compare two things which are equal, use tan + adjective/ adverb + como:
El zumo de naranja Todo fruta es tan natural como el almanecer - Toda Fruta Orange juice is as natural as the dawn.
Comete un Chocomuesli y correrás tan rápido como un jaguar - eat a chocomuseli and run as fast as a jaguar
Some comparatives are irregular bien= mejor, bueno = mejor, grande = mayor / más grande, mal,malo = peor, mucho = más, pequeño= menor/mas pequeño
To form superlatives use the definite article + más + adjective:
Este es el coche más increíble - This is the most incredible car
There is also an absolute superlative (the most of all…) formed by removing the final vowel from an adjective and replacing it with the endings, -isimo, -isima, -isimos, -isimas
Moda en El Corte Inglés - elgantisima
Fashion in Corte inglés - the height of elegance
What are the demonstrative adjectives and pronouns?
this - este, esta
these- estos, estas
that (not very distant) - ese, esa
those (not very distant) - esos, esas
that (more distant) - aquel, aquella
those (more distant) - aquellos, aquellas
Demonstrative adjectives must agree with the noun they describe
Este anuncio es muy efectivo - This ad is very affective
Esa foto no es interesante - That photo isn’t interesting
When the demonstrative pronouns are nouns they need an accent
Éste es el mejor producto en el mercado - this is the best product on the market
What are indefinite adjectives and pronouns?
Algo (something)and alguien (someone)
Algo can be used on its own …
Apuntaba algo.
He was noting something down.
… or with an adjective, in which case it means ‘quite’,
‘rather’, or ‘a bit’
Es algo escandaloso.
It’s rather scandalous.
… or with de + infinitive:
¿Quieres algo de comer?
Do you want something to eat?
Alguien can be used on its own …
Busco a alguien.
I’m looking for someone.
… or followed by que + a verb, in which case it requires the subjunctive (because there is some doubt as to whether the person exists (see 4.13):
Busco a alguien que me respete.
I’m looking for someone who respects me.
The indefinite adjectives algún/alguno/alguna/ algunos/algunas and ningún/ninguno/ninguna
Alguno means ‘some’ and must agree with its noun. It drops the -o ending and gains an accent when it is placed before a masculine singular noun.
Algunas chicas, algún talento, algunos estudiantes Some girls, some talent, some students
Ninguno means ‘no, not any, none’ and must agree with its noun. Like alguno, it drops the -o ending and gains an accent when it is placed before a masculine singular noun, but it has no plural forms, since its meaning is ‘not one.
Ninguna chica, ninguna idea, ningún estudiante no/not one girl, no idea, no students)
Mucho, poco, todo, tanto, otro, cualquier and varios
These are used as adjectives as well as pronouns.
They must agree with the noun they describe (when they are adjectives) or represent (when they are pronouns): cualquier persona, poca gente.
Todos los niños soltaban unas carcajadas.
All the children were letting out guffaws.
Un abrazo a todos, Paco.
Love to everyone, Paco.
Tanto shortens to tan before adjectives.
No hay tantos matrimonios civiles. No es tan importante.
There are not that many civil partnerships. It’s not so important.
Cada
Although cada is an adjective, it never changes.
Cada individual tiene su punto de vista.
Every individual has their point of view.
What are possessive adjectives and pronouns?
A possessive adjective must agree with its noun.
Mi padre ha tenido tres mujeres.
My father has had three wives.
Las relaciones con mis hermanas son excelentes.
My relationship with my sisters are excellent.
Es la mejor novelista de nuestros tiempos.
She is the best novelist of our times.
Mi, mis, tu, tus, su, sus are the same for masculine and feminine.
Nuestro (our) and vuestro (your, 2nd person plural, familiar) have masculine and feminine forms in singular and plural:
singular
plural
masculine
feminine
masculine
feminine
mi
mil
mIs
mIs
tu
tu
tus
tuS
SU
Su
SUS
SuS
nuestro
nuestra
nuestros
nuestras
vuestro
vuestra
vuestros
vuestras
SU
SU
SUS
SUS
Possessive pronouns follow the noun or are freestanding.
The definite article is needed with possessive pronouns, except when the pronoun is introduced by the verb ser.
Juan Ramón dice que la suya no es una familia genética sino de elección.
Juan Ramón says that his is not a genetic family but one created by choice.
Juan Ramón dice que Jorge no es hijo suyo.
Juan Ramón says that Jorge is not his son.
Like possessive pronouns, possessive adjectives must agree (with the noun they represent), but the pronouns all have masculine and feminine forms in singular and plural:
singular
plural
masculine
feminine
masculine
feminine
mio
mia
mios
mias
tuyo
tuya
tuyos
tuyas
suyo
suya
suyos
suyas
nuestro
nuestra
nuestros
nuestras
vuestro
vuestra
vuestros
vuestras
suyo
suya
suyos
suyas
What are interrogative adjectives and pronouns?
Here are the most common interrogative words. They do not change their form, except that they have an accent when used as interrogatives.
¿Cuándo…?
When …?
¿Dónde…?
Where ..? (position)
¿Adónde …?
Where to ..? (destination)
¿Cómo …?
How …?
¿Por qué …?
Why…?
¿Cuándo vuelves?
When are you coming back?
No sé cuando.|
I don’t know when.
¿Por qué vas a la cama tan temprano?
Why are you going to bed so early?
¿Cuánto …?
¿Cuánto …? does not change its form when it is a pronoun …
¿Cuánto cuestan?
How much are they?
… but it must agree with its noun when it is an adjective:
¿Cuántos años tienes?
How old are you?
¿Qué…? and ¿Cuál …?/¿Cuáles …?
To ask ‘what …?’, use ¿qué…?
¿Qué quieres?
¿Qué son los pronombres?
What do you want?
What are pronouns?
To ask ‘which …?’, use ¿cuál …?/¿cuáles …? when you need a pronoun …
¿Cuál de estas preguntas es más difícil?
Which (one) of these questions is harder?
¿Cuáles de todas sus canciones prefieres?
Which (ones) of all his tracks do you prefer? … but use ¿qué …? when you need an adjective:
¿Qué respuesta vas a elegir?
Which answer are you going to choose?
Although cuál has a plural form, qué never changes.
¿Quién …?/¿Quiénes …?
Like cuál, quién has a plural form.
Quién/quiénes can be used on their own or with prepositions.
¿Quien habla?
Who’s speaking?
¿Quiénes son?
Who are they?
¿A quién viste en el bar?
Who(m) did you see in the bar?
¿De quién es este móvil?
Whose is this mobile?/Whose mobile is this?
Using interrogative words to make exclamations
The interrogative words cuánto, cómo and qué are used - with their accents in place - to make exclamations.
¡Cuánto me aburre!
How boring he is!
¡Cómo! ¡No es posible!
What! It’s not possible!
¡Qué tonto!
How stupid!
What are relative adjectives and pronouns?
Relative pronouns are words such as ‘who’, ‘which’ and ‘that’, used to connect two parts of a sentence.
No teníamos familiares cerca que pudieran ayudamos.
We didn’t have family members nearby who could help us out.
The relative pronoun is often left out in English but not in Spanish:
Mi hijo escucha música que a mi no me gusta, y tiene amigos a quienes no aguanto.
My son listens to music (that) I don’t like, and has friends (whom I can’t stand.
A preposition used with a relative pronoun cannot be separated from it, as happens in English:
Los problemas de los cuales hablaba son muy comunes.
The problems (that) he was talking about are very common.
Que is the most common of the relative pronouns.
It is used
• as a subject pronoun:
México es un país que avanza rápidamente.
Mexico is a country which is advancing rapidly.
• as an object pronoun for things (not people):
Le dejo elegir los programas que vemos.
Ilet him choose the programmes (that) we watch.
The pronouns el que, la que, los que, las que are used after prepositions.
La mujer de la que se enamoró.
The woman he fell in love with. (= with whom he fell in love)
El día en el que comenzó el curso.
The day (that/on which) the course started.
Quien and its plural quienes are used after a preposition when referring to people, not things. They can replace que.
Es ella quien tiene que planificarlo.
It’s she who has to plan it.
Cuyo, meaning ‘whose, is an adjective. It agrees in number and gender with its noun.
Trato de que no vuelva a salir con amigos cuya influencia puede ser mala.
I try to stop him going out with friends whose influence could be a bad thing.
The neuter pronouns lo que/lo cual refer to a general idea or a whole phrase, rather than a specific noun.
Puede comprar lo que quiera.
He can buy what he wants.
What are adverbs and adverbial phrases?
In Spanish, adverbs are formed by adding the ending
-mente to the feminine form of the adjective where there is one:
rapido correcto
rápida
correcta
rapidamente correctamente
When two’-mente adverbs appear together, the first one loses the ending -mente but it remains in the feminine form.
Hay que trabajar los músculos correcta y periodicamente.
You have to exercise your muscles correctly and regularly.
Some common adverbs are irregular:
bien (well), mal (badly), despacio (slowly)
Some are words you already know but may not think of as adverbs; they are used as intensifiers and quantifiers, i.e. to show how strongly the adjective applies:
muy, más, mucho, poco, bastante, demasiado, tanto
Adverbs usually add detail to verbs ….
La mujer no educó adecuadamente a su hijo.
The woman didn’t educate her son adequately.
..but they can also add detail to adjectives, specifying the intensity of the adjective.
Fue un momento particularmente importante.
It was an especially important time.
Adverbial expressions - phrases that work like adverbs - are at least as common as single-word adverbs. Here are two standard types:
• use con with the noun
con frecuencia instead of frecuentemente con respeto instead of respetuosamente
• use de manera with a feminine adiective:
de manera tímida, de manera teatral, de manera experta
Masculine singular adjectives are also sometimes used as adverbs:
Hablan rápido.
Se venden barato.
They talk quickly.
They are sold cheap(ly).
