Spanish Adjectives: The 100 Most Useful
🇪🇸 Spanish · 100 cards · A1 · by Lucía Herrera
These are the first hundred adjectives in Spanish I hand to every new student, straight out of my notebook: the words you need for people, food, places and moods in your first weeks.
Three things cause most of the mistakes. Agreement: most end in -o/-a and change with the noun, but grande, fácil, joven and azul have one singular form for both genders. Position: bueno, malo and primero lose the -o before a masculine singular noun, and a few adjectives (pobre, antiguo) change meaning depending on where they sit. Ser vs estar: aburrido, listo, rico and seguro mean two different things depending on the verb. Read the notes before you drill.
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How to use this deck
Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.
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All 100 cards
| # | Spanish | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bueno Shortens to buen before a masculine singular noun: un buen día. Feminine: buena (una buena idea). | good | Es un buen libro, te va a gustar. It's a good book, you'll like it. | |
| 2 | malo Shortens to mal before a masculine singular noun: un mal día. Feminine: mala. | bad | Hace mal tiempo hoy, no salgas. The weather's bad today, don't go out. | |
| 3 | grande Same form for both genders. Before any singular noun it becomes gran and usually means 'great': un gran amigo. | big, large | Mi ciudad no es muy grande. My city isn't very big. | |
| 4 | pequeño | small, little | Este apartamento es pequeño pero luminoso. This apartment is small but bright. | |
| 5 | nuevo After the noun it means brand new; before the noun it often means 'another, a different one': tengo un nuevo trabajo. | new | ¿Es nuevo ese teléfono? Is that phone new? | |
| 6 | viejo For people, mayor is politer than viejo. | old | Este abrigo ya está muy viejo. This coat is really old now. | |
| 7 | joven Same form for both genders; plural jóvenes (note the accent). | young | Mi profesora de guitarra es joven. My guitar teacher is young. | |
| 8 | alto | tall, high | Mi hermano es más alto que yo. My brother is taller than me. | |
| 9 | bajo Also 'low' for prices, volume and temperature: un precio bajo. | short (height), low | Soy bajo y no alcanzo ese estante. I'm short and I can't reach that shelf. | |
| 10 | largo False friend: largo means long, not large. | long | Ese vestido te queda largo. That dress is too long on you. | |
| 11 | corto Used for length or duration, never for a person's height (that's bajo). | short (length) | Me gusta llevar el pelo corto. I like wearing my hair short. | |
| 12 | gordo Blunt about people. In Mexico, gordo/gorda is also an affectionate nickname. | fat | Mi gato está un poco gordo. My cat is a bit fat. | |
| 13 | delgado Neutral and polite, unlike flaco, which is more colloquial. | thin, slim | Ella es alta y delgada. She's tall and slim. | |
| 14 | fuerte Same form for both genders. Also means loud: la música está muy fuerte. | strong; loud | ¡Qué fuerte está este café! This coffee is so strong! | |
| 15 | débil Same form for both genders; plural débiles. | weak | Me siento débil, no he comido nada. I feel weak, I haven't eaten anything. | |
| 16 | rápido Also used as an adverb: ¡ven rápido! | fast, quick | Necesito una respuesta rápida. I need a quick answer. | |
| 17 | lento | slow | Hoy la conexión va muy lenta. The connection is very slow today. | |
| 18 | fácil Same form for both genders; plural fáciles. | easy | El examen fue más fácil de lo que esperaba. The exam was easier than I expected. | |
| 19 | difícil Same form for both genders; plural difíciles. | difficult, hard | Esta palabra es difícil de pronunciar. This word is hard to pronounce. | |
| 20 | caro | expensive | No lo compres, es demasiado caro. Don't buy it, it's too expensive. | |
| 21 | barato | cheap, inexpensive | Encontré un hotel barato junto a la playa. I found a cheap hotel next to the beach. | |
| 22 | rico With estar it means tasty; with ser it means wealthy: es muy rico. | tasty, delicious; rich (wealthy) | ¡Qué rica está esta sopa! This soup is delicious! | |
| 23 | pobre After the noun = without money; before the noun = 'unfortunate': el pobre hombre. | poor | Vengo de una familia pobre. I come from a poor family. | |
| 24 | feliz Same form for both genders; plural felices. Estar feliz = a mood; ser feliz = a happy person or life. | happy | Hoy estoy feliz sin ningún motivo. Today I'm happy for no reason. | |
| 25 | triste Same form for both genders. | sad | La película tiene un final triste. The film has a sad ending. | |
| 26 | contento Used with estar, not with ser. It describes a mood, not a personality. | happy, pleased | Mis padres están contentos con la noticia. My parents are pleased with the news. | |
| 27 | enojado Latin America. In Spain people say enfadado. | angry | ¿Estás enojada conmigo? Are you angry with me? | |
| 28 | cansado estar cansado = tired; ser cansado = tiring, tiresome. | tired | Estoy cansado, me voy a dormir. I'm tired, I'm going to bed. | |
| 29 | aburrido ser aburrido = boring; estar aburrido = bored. | boring; bored | La clase de hoy fue muy aburrida. Today's class was really boring. | |
| 30 | divertido About a person, es muy divertido = he's great fun to be with. | fun, funny, entertaining | ¡Qué divertida estuvo la fiesta! The party was so much fun! | |
| 31 | interesante Same form for both genders. | interesting | Ayer me contó algo muy interesante. Yesterday she told me something very interesting. | |
| 32 | guapo Used for men (guapo) and women (guapa); very common in Spain and also heard in Mexico. | good-looking, handsome, pretty | Te ves muy guapa con ese vestido. You look really good in that dress. | |
| 33 | feo | ugly | El edificio es feo por fuera. The building is ugly on the outside. | |
| 34 | bonito Mostly for things and places; in Latin America it's also used for people (una niña muy bonita). | pretty, nice | Tienes una casa muy bonita. You have a very nice house. | |
| 35 | mejor Irregular comparative of bueno: say mejor, not 'más bueno'. Same form for both genders; plural mejores. | better, best | Aquí hacen la mejor pizza del barrio. They make the best pizza in the neighbourhood here. | |
| 36 | limpio | clean | La cocina ya está limpia. The kitchen is clean now. | |
| 37 | sucio | dirty | No toques nada, tienes las manos sucias. Don't touch anything, your hands are dirty. | |
| 38 | caliente Same form for both genders. Careful: estar caliente said of a person means 'horny' (colloquial). | hot | Cuidado, el plato está caliente. Careful, the plate is hot. | |
| 39 | frío For people feeling cold, use tener frío: tengo frío (not 'soy/estoy frío'). | cold | El agua está demasiado fría para nadar. The water is too cold to swim in. | |
| 40 | seco | dry | ¿Ya está seca la ropa? Are the clothes dry yet? | |
| 41 | mojado | wet | Llegué a casa todo mojado. I got home completely wet. | |
| 42 | lleno Also used after eating: ya estoy lleno. | full | El restaurante estaba lleno anoche. The restaurant was full last night. | |
| 43 | vacío | empty | El tren iba casi vacío. The train was almost empty. | |
| 44 | abierto | open | La farmacia está abierta hasta las diez. The pharmacy is open until ten. | |
| 45 | cerrado | closed | Los domingos el museo está cerrado. On Sundays the museum is closed. | |
| 46 | claro On its own, ¡Claro! means 'Of course!' | light (colour); clear | Me gusta más el azul claro. I prefer the light blue. | |
| 47 | oscuro Used for colours too: verde oscuro. | dark | Esta habitación es muy oscura. This room is very dark. | |
| 48 | blanco | white | Me puse una camisa blanca. I put on a white shirt. | |
| 49 | negro | black | Tengo el pelo negro y liso. I have straight black hair. | |
| 50 | rojo | red | Ella llevaba unos zapatos rojos. She was wearing red shoes. | |
| 51 | azul Same form for both genders; plural azules. | blue | Tiene los ojos azules. He has blue eyes. | |
| 52 | verde Same form for both genders. | green; unripe | Ese plátano todavía está verde. That banana is still unripe. | |
| 53 | amarillo | yellow | Compré un paraguas amarillo. I bought a yellow umbrella. | |
| 54 | importante Same form for both genders. | important | Mañana tengo una reunión importante. I have an important meeting tomorrow. | |
| 55 | necesario | necessary | El pasaporte es necesario para viajar. A passport is necessary for travelling. | |
| 56 | posible Same form for both genders. Opposite: imposible. | possible | ¿Es posible cambiar la fecha? Is it possible to change the date? | |
| 57 | peor Irregular comparative of malo: say peor, not 'más malo'. Plural peores. | worse, worst | Fue el peor día de la semana. It was the worst day of the week. | |
| 58 | falso Opposite: verdadero. | false, fake | Ese billete parece falso. That banknote looks fake. | |
| 59 | primero Shortens to primer before a masculine singular noun; feminine: la primera vez. | first | Vivo en el primer piso. I live on the first floor. | |
| 60 | último Normally goes before the noun: el último tren. | last, latest | Es la última vez que te lo digo. It's the last time I'm telling you. | |
| 61 | próximo Goes before the noun in time expressions: el próximo lunes, la próxima parada. | next | Nos vemos la próxima semana. See you next week. | |
| 62 | mismo Before the noun, with an article: el mismo día. After a pronoun it means '-self': yo mismo. | same | Tenemos el mismo cumpleaños. We have the same birthday. | |
| 63 | diferente Same form for both genders. Distinto is just as common. | different | Cada clase es diferente. Every class is different. | |
| 64 | igual Same form for both genders; plural iguales. Me da igual = I don't mind. | the same, identical | Tu mochila es igual que la mía. Your backpack is the same as mine. | |
| 65 | mucho Agrees with the noun (mucho/mucha/muchos/muchas). Before an adjective use muy: muy cansado, not 'mucho cansado'. | a lot of, many, much | Hay mucha gente en la calle. There are a lot of people in the street. | |
| 66 | poco Agrees with the noun: poca sal, pocos amigos. | little, few, not much | Hoy tengo poco tiempo. I don't have much time today. | |
| 67 | todo Goes before the article: todo el día, todas las semanas. | all, whole, every | Llovió todo el día. It rained all day. | |
| 68 | otro Never say 'un otro' — otro already means 'another'. | other, another | ¿Me traes otra cerveza, por favor? Could you bring me another beer, please? | |
| 69 | solo As an adjective it agrees: sola, solos. The adverb 'only' is solo or solamente and is written without an accent today. | alone, on one's own | Vive solo desde el año pasado. He's lived alone since last year. | |
| 70 | libre Same form for both genders. 'Free of charge' is gratis, not libre. | free (available), vacant | ¿Está libre esta mesa? Is this table free? | |
| 71 | ocupado Also used for a taken seat or an engaged phone line. | busy, occupied, taken | Perdón, ¿estás ocupada ahora? Sorry, are you busy right now? | |
| 72 | listo estar listo = ready; ser listo = clever, sharp. | ready; clever | ¿Ya estás listo para salir? Are you ready to go out? | |
| 73 | tonto Informal. Mild between friends, insulting if said seriously. | silly, stupid | No seas tonto, claro que puedes. Don't be silly, of course you can. | |
| 74 | inteligente Same form for both genders. | intelligent, smart | Tu hija es inteligente y curiosa. Your daughter is intelligent and curious. | |
| 75 | amable Same form for both genders. Describes polite, helpful behaviour. | kind, nice | ¡Qué amable eres! Muchas gracias. How kind of you! Thank you very much. | |
| 76 | simpático False friend: it does not mean 'sympathetic'. | nice, friendly, likeable | El camarero fue muy simpático. The waiter was very friendly. | |
| 77 | antipático | unfriendly, unpleasant | Mi vecino es bastante antipático. My neighbour is fairly unfriendly. | |
| 78 | serio En serio = seriously, for real. | serious | Tenemos un problema serio. We have a serious problem. | |
| 79 | tranquilo ¡Tranquilo! on its own means 'Relax, don't worry'. | calm, quiet, peaceful | Vivo en un barrio tranquilo. I live in a quiet neighbourhood. | |
| 80 | nervioso Ponerse nervioso = to get nervous. | nervous | Me pongo nerviosa antes de hablar. I get nervous before speaking. | |
| 81 | enfermo Use it with estar: está enfermo. As a noun, un enfermo is a patient. | ill, sick | Mi hijo está enfermo y se queda en casa. My son is ill and is staying home. | |
| 82 | sano For food, both sano and saludable are used: una dieta sana. | healthy | Los niños están sanos y fuertes. The children are healthy and strong. | |
| 83 | delicioso Slightly more formal than rico, which is what people usually say at the table. | delicious | El postre estaba delicioso. The dessert was delicious. | |
| 84 | dulce Same form for both genders. Also used for people: una mirada dulce. | sweet | Este vino es demasiado dulce. This wine is too sweet. | |
| 85 | salado In several Latin American countries salado also means 'unlucky' (colloquial). | salty | La sopa está un poco salada. The soup is a bit salty. | |
| 86 | picante Same form for both genders. Never use caliente for spicy food. | spicy, hot | ¿La salsa verde es muy picante? Is the green salsa very spicy? | |
| 87 | fresco Also the pleasant kind of cool: una noche fresca. | fresh; cool | Compré pescado fresco en el mercado. I bought fresh fish at the market. | |
| 88 | duro Also 'hard' about life or work: un día duro. | hard, tough | La carne quedó dura. The meat turned out tough. | |
| 89 | blando Use suave for fabrics and skin, blando for food and mattresses. | soft (to the touch) | Este queso es blando y cremoso. This cheese is soft and creamy. | |
| 90 | pesado About a person, ser pesado means to be a pain (informal). | heavy; annoying | Esta maleta es muy pesada. This suitcase is very heavy. | |
| 91 | ligero Not for colours or brightness; that's claro or luminoso. | light (in weight) | Prefiero una cena ligera. I prefer a light dinner. | |
| 92 | suave Same form for both genders. | soft, smooth, gentle | Tiene la piel muy suave. Her skin is very soft. | |
| 93 | peligroso | dangerous | Ese cruce es peligroso de noche. That crossing is dangerous at night. | |
| 94 | seguro ser seguro = safe; estar seguro (de) = certain about something. | safe; sure, certain | ¿Estás seguro de que es hoy? Are you sure it's today? | |
| 95 | famoso Famoso por = famous for. | famous | Este lugar es famoso por sus tacos. This place is famous for its tacos. | |
| 96 | moderno | modern | Me gusta el diseño moderno de este hotel. I like this hotel's modern design. | |
| 97 | antiguo Before the noun it means 'former': mi antiguo jefe. | old, ancient; former | Vivimos en un edificio antiguo. We live in an old building. | |
| 98 | útil Same form for both genders; plural útiles. | useful | Tu consejo me fue muy útil. Your advice was very useful to me. | |
| 99 | raro In everyday speech it means 'weird' far more often than 'rare'. | strange, weird; rare | Qué raro, no contesta el teléfono. How strange, he's not answering the phone. | |
| 100 | cómodo About a person, estar cómodo = to feel comfortable. | comfortable | Este sofá es súper cómodo. This sofa is super comfortable. |
Lucía Herrera
Native Spanish · Speaks English, Portuguese
Native Spanish speaker from Valencia, now in Mexico City. I tutor Spanish online and keep a notebook of the words my students trip over. Every deck here comes from that notebook.
Published
Questions about this deck
- Do Spanish adjectives go before or after the noun?
- Normally after: una casa bonita, un coche rápido. The ones in this deck that go before are quantifiers and ordinals (mucho, poco, todo, otro, mismo, primero, último, próximo). A few change meaning with position: un hombre pobre is a man without money, el pobre hombre is a man you feel sorry for; mi antiguo jefe is my former boss, un edificio antiguo is an old building; un gran amigo is a great friend, un amigo grande is a big one.
- How do I make Spanish adjectives agree in gender and number?
- Adjectives ending in -o have four forms: limpio, limpia, limpios, limpias. Those ending in -e or in a consonant have one singular form for both genders: grande, fuerte, fácil, joven, azul. Plurals add -s after a vowel (grandes, verdes) and -es after a consonant (fáciles, azules); a final -z becomes -c: feliz → felices. Adjectives of nationality ending in a consonant do add -a: español → española.
- Which adjectives in this deck change meaning with ser and estar?
- Six to memorise: ser aburrido (boring) vs estar aburrido (bored); ser listo (clever) vs estar listo (ready); ser rico (wealthy) vs estar rico (tasty); ser seguro (safe) vs estar seguro (certain); ser cansado (tiring) vs estar cansado (tired); ser bueno (a good person or thing) vs estar bueno (tasty — and, said of a person, physically attractive, so use it carefully).
- Which Spanish adjectives lose their ending before a noun?
- Bueno, malo and primero drop the -o before a masculine singular noun: un buen amigo, un mal día, el primer piso. Grande becomes gran before any singular noun, masculine or feminine, and then usually means 'great': un gran día, una gran idea. Feminine forms never shorten: una buena idea, una mala noticia, la primera vez.
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