Adjective gender agreement

Level 3

An adjective agrees with its noun in gender and number.

How It Works

Start with the noun: masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Match the adjective even when it follows a verb: el pis és petit, les cases són petites. Some adjectives have two gender forms; others share one.

In a full sentence, an adjective can describe a noun directly or through a verb: una veïna nova, la veïna és nova. The same gender agreement applies in both positions. An intervening phrase does not change which noun controls agreement: la casa dels meus pares és antiga.

Do not infer an adjective's gender pattern from its last letter alone. Negre/negra varies, while amable has one singular form for both genders. A shared form is still grammatically agreeing. When a noun changes to a different gendered form, check the article and every adjective that describes it, rather than changing only the closest word.

Examples (3)

  1. La nova veïna és simpàtica.

    The new neighbor is friendly.

  2. La casa dels meus pares és antiga.

    My parents’ house is old.

  3. És una decisió clara.

    It is a clear decision.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjective gender agreementLevel 3

Learn This First

Recognize adjectives whose gender forms coincide.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.