Present Participles as Adjectives

Level 4

Words that look like the gerund can be adjectives, and then they agree with the noun.

How It Works

Wordmasculinefemininemasculine pluralfeminine plural
interessantinteressantinteressantainteressantsinteressantas
brilhantbrilhantbrilhantabrilhantsbrilhantas
plasentplasentplasentaplasentsplasentas

Compare the gerund with the adjective. En parlant never changes. Interessanta changes with the noun: una istòria interessanta.

Some of these words are also nouns for people: un estudiant, una estudianta (a student). The feminine takes -a, as with adjectives.

These adjectives follow the usual rule and stand after the noun: un libre interessant. Check a new word in a dictionary, because not every verb has one.

Examples (5)

  1. Aquel libre es interessant.

    That book is interesting.

    Interessant is masculine, to match libre.

  2. Aquela istòria es interessanta.

    That story is interesting.

    Interessanta is feminine, to match istòria.

  3. Maria es estudianta a Tolosa.

    Maria is a student in Toulouse.

    Estudianta is the feminine of the noun estudiant.

  4. Los estudiants son dins la classa.

    The students are in the class.

    Estudiants is the masculine plural.

  5. Aquelas colors son brilhantas.

    Those colors are bright.

    Brilhantas is feminine plural, to match colors.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the adjective in the masculine.

    Aquela istòria es interessant.
    Aquela istòria es interessanta.

    The adjective agrees with the noun, and istòria is feminine.

How It Connects

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

Present Participles as AdjectivesLevel 4

Learn This First

Some present participles work as adjectives, so the gerund and the feminine of adjectives come first.