7.4. Adjectives in Spanish: Degrees of Adjectives in Spanish

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Spanish adjectives, similar to English adjectives, are used to describe or modify nouns. They can describe color, size, emotion, appearance, and many other attributes. However, a unique feature of Spanish adjectives is that they agree in gender and number with the noun they are modifying. For example, a red car is described as "un coche rojo", while a red house is "una casa roja".

Also, adjectives in Spanish have three degrees: positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive degree is the basic form of the adjective, such as "rojo" (red) or "grande" (big). The comparative degree is used to compare two things, people or situations. For example, "Mi coche es más grande que tu coche" (My car is bigger than your car). Finally, the superlative degree is used to indicate the maximum of a quality. For example, "Este es el coche más grande" (This is the biggest car).

Adjectives in Spanish are divided into two main types: qualifying adjectives and demonstrative adjectives. Qualifying adjectives describe the quality of a noun, such as "great", "pequeño" (small), "bonito" (beautiful), "feo" (ugly), etc. On the other hand, demonstrative adjectives indicate the position of a noun in relation to the speaker or listener, such as "este" (this), "ese" (this), "aquel" (that), etc.

Now, let's focus on the degrees of adjectives in Spanish. The positive degree of an adjective is its basic form. For example, "big", "small", "beautiful", "feo", etc. This degree of the adjective is used when we are not comparing the noun with anything or anyone.

The comparative degree of adjectives in Spanish is used to compare two nouns. There are three types of comparisons: superiority, equality, and inferiority. The superiority comparison is formed using the structure "más... que" (more... than). For example, "Mi coche es más grande que tu coche". The equality comparison is formed using the structure "tan... como" (as... as). For example, "Mi coche es tan grande como tu coche". The inferiority comparison is less common in Spanish and is formed using the structure "menos... que" (less... than). For example, "Mi coche es less grande que tu coche".

Finally, the superlative degree of adjectives in Spanish is used to express the maximum of a quality. The relative superlative is formed using the structure "el/la/los/las más/menos...". For example, "Este es el coche más grande" (This is the biggest car). The absolute superlative is formed by adding the ending "-ísimo/a" to the adjective. For example, "grand" becomes "grandísimo" (great). However, some adjectives have irregular forms for the absolute superlative, such as "bueno" which becomes "buenísimo" (very good).

In summary, adjectives in Spanish are an essential part of the language and it is important to understand how they work, especially in terms of gender and number agreement and degrees of comparison. With practice and study, you will be able to use Spanish adjectives with confidence and accuracy.

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847.5. Adjectives in Spanish: Numeric Adjectives in Spanish