Adjectives With One Form for Both Genders
Some adjectives have one form for masculine and feminine: un home alegre, unha muller alegre. They only change in the plural: alegres, felices.
How It Works
Adjectives ending in -e. Most have one form for both genders: grande (big), verde (green), alegre (cheerful), triste (sad), forte (strong), quente (hot), pobre (poor). Un xardín grande, unha cidade grande.
Adjectives ending in some consonants. Words in -l (fácil, útil, azul, igual), -z (feliz, capaz) and -ar (familiar, popular) also have one form. The same is true of común, of words in -ista such as optimista, and of the comparatives mellor, peor, maior, menor. Nationality words are the exception: español → española, andaluz → andaluza.
But many consonant endings do change. Adjectives in -or add -a (traballador → traballadora, hard-working), and most of those in -és add -a (portugués → portuguesa). See Forming the Feminine With -a.
The plural still changes. Follow the normal plural rules:
- -e adds -s: alegre → alegres, verde → verdes
- -z adds -es with c: feliz → felices; -r adds -es: familiar → familiares
- -l has its own rule: azul → azuis, fácil → fáciles. See Plural of Words Ending in -l.
Examples (6)
- Ela é unha muller moi alegre.
She is a very cheerful woman.
Alegre has the same form after a feminine noun.
- O meu avó é un home alegre.
My grandfather is a cheerful man.
- Esta pregunta é fácil.
This question is easy.
Fácil does not change for the feminine pregunta.
- Pasamos dous días felices na praia.
We spent two happy days at the beach.
Feliz → felices in the plural.
- A casa é grande e o xardín tamén é grande.
The house is big and the garden is big too.
- Teño unha camisa verde e uns pantalóns verdes.
I have a green shirt and some green trousers.
Verde only changes for number.
Common Mistakes
Adding -a to an adjective in -e.
É unha muller moi alegra.É unha muller moi alegre.Adjectives in -e usually have one form for both genders.
Adding -a to fácil, feliz or azul.
Esta pregunta é fácila.Esta pregunta é fácil.Fácil, feliz and azul have no separate feminine form. Nationality words such as español → española are the exception.
Keeping z in the plural.
Pasamos dous días felizes.Pasamos dous días felices.Feliz adds -es in the plural, and z is written c before e.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Some adjectives keep the same form for both genders while still showing number.
Related Patterns
- Feminine With -aForming the Feminine with -a
Adjectives that do have a separate feminine form.
Level 1 - Plural With -es
Adjectives in -z and -r add -es in the plural.
Level 1 - Plural of Words in -lPlural of Words Ending in -l
How azul and fácil form their plurals.
Level 2 - Plural of Words in -ilPlural of Words Ending in -il
Adjectives such as útil and fácil follow the -il plural rule.
Level 3 - mellor / peor / maior / menorIrregular Comparatives
These comparatives also have one form for both genders.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
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