In Spanish, adjectives must agree in both number and gender with the nouns they modify. This agreement helps convey information clearly about the nouns.
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Gender: Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine. Adjectives typically have different forms depending on the gender of the noun:
- Masculine adjectives often end in -o (e.g., "alto" for "tall").
- Feminine adjectives typically end in -a (e.g., "alta" for "tall").
- Some adjectives have the same form for both genders but may have a different article (e.g., "inteligente" is used for both masculine and feminine).
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Number: Adjectives also change based on whether the noun is singular or plural:
- Singular adjectives (e.g., "alto" for a single male, "alta" for a single female).
- Plural adjectives usually add -s or -es, depending on the ending of the adjective (e.g., "altos" for multiple males or mixed genders, "altas" for multiple females).
Example:
- "El hombre alto" (The tall man) — masculine singular
- "La mujer alta" (The tall woman) — feminine singular
- "Los hombres altos" (The tall men) — masculine plural
- "Las mujeres altas" (The tall women) — feminine plural
In summary, the form of adjectives in Spanish changes according to the gender and number of the nouns they describe, ensuring consistency and clarity in communication.