100 Spanish Describing Words: Adjectives for People, Places, and Things
What are describing words, let alone Spanish describing words? Let’s take a look first at how we use describing words in English:
Did you see the amazing sunset yesterday?
This house is so cozy.
My friend is hilarious.
That book was insightful.
Being able to describe things, concepts, people, and situations is key to communicating in any language. These “describing words” are called adjectives and they are the words we use to describe nouns (people, places, and things).
The italicized words above are adjectives: amazing, cozy, hilarious, insightful. Each modifies its own noun: amazing sunset, cozy house, hilarious friend, and insightful book.
Learn more about Spanish nouns: Everything a Beginner Wants to Learn About Spanish Nouns.
Ready to learn all the useful details about describing words in Spanish?
This user-friendly beginner’s guide to using adjectives in Spanish will equip you with 100 common Spanish describing words you can use in your conversations!
Spanish Describing Words Require Adjective Agreement
For a smooth conversation in Spanish, you want to pay attention to adjective placement and agreement.
Unlike in English, Spanish adjectives usually follow the noun. Rather than saying “the white house,” you say la casa blanca (“the house white”).
In Spanish, nouns are either masculine (el) or feminine (la). Adjectives must agree with the noun (or pronoun) they describe in gender and in number.
For example, the noun las manzanas (the apples) is plural and feminine, so adjectives that describe it must also be plural and feminine.
Las manzanas rojas – the red apples
O Adjectives
Adjectives that end in –o in the masculine singular form make up the majority of adjectives in Spanish. The -o may change to –a, -as, or -os, depending on the gender and number of the noun it is modifying. For example:
Masculine singular:
Tengo un gato negro.
I have a black cat.
Feminine singular:
Tengo una falda negra.
I have a black skirt.
Masculine plural:
Tengo dos gatos negros.
I have two black cats.
Feminine plural:
Tengo tres faldas negras.
I have three black skirts.
E and -ista Adjectives
Adjectives ending in -e or -ista do not change according to gender, only for number. Inteligente (intelligent), verde (green), caliente (hot), grande (big), and amable (kind/friendly) are examples of adjectives that end in -e.
Masculine singular:
Mi primo es interesante.
My cousin is interesting.
Feminine singular:
Mi amiga es interesante.
My friend is interesting.
Masculine plural:
Mis amigos son interesantes.
My friends are interesting.
Spanish describing words ending in -ista include perfeccionista (perfectionist), materialista (materialistic), alarmista (alarmist), and extremista (extremist).
Feminine singular:
Mi mamá es idealista.
My mom is idealistic.
Masculine singular:
Mi profesor es idealista.
My teacher is idealistic.
Masculine plural:
Mis profesores son idealistas.
My teachers are idealistic.
Consonant Adjectives
Like the adjectives in the previous category, most adjectives that end in a consonant don’t change according to gender but do change for number, which case you add an -es.
Some of these include genial (great), gris (gray), cortés (polite), and marrón (dark brown).
Feminine singular:
La moto es azul.
The motorcycle is blue.
Masculine singular:
El carro es azul.
The car is blue.
Plural:
Las joyas son azules.
The jewels are blue.
Los vestidos son azules.
The dresses are blue.
Masculine singular:
El perro marrón está en la cocina.
The dark brown dog is in the kitchen.
Feminine plural:
Las gatas marrones están en la sala.
The dark brown cats are in the living room.
Feminine singular:
La prueba es fácil.
The quiz is easy.
Feminine plural:
Las pruebas son fáciles.
The quizzes are easy.
Pro Tip: For adjectives that end in -z in the singular form, change the -z to -c in the plural form.
La niña está feliz.
The girl is happy.
Las niñas están felices.
The girls are happy.
Exceptions
Another exception is that most adjectives ending in –or, -ón, or -ín do have feminine forms. For example:
Mi esposo es trabajador.
My husband is hardworking.
Mi tía es trabajadora.
My aunt is hardworking.
Mis hijos son trabajadores.
My sons are hardworking.
Mis hermanas son trabajadoras.
My sisters are hardworking.
Now, let’s dive into the Spanish describing words for people, places, and things. At the bottom of each section, I’ve included several example sentences to help you learn to use these words in conversation.
Spanish Describing Words: Adjectives for People
Human beings are complex and wonderful creatures! Check out the following adjectives to describe them in all their glory. I divided these Spanish describing words into the categories of personality, appearance, and emotional states.
Personality
sincero/a – honest
deshonesto/a – dishonest
sensible – sensitive
insensible – insensitive
alegre – joyful
malo/a – mean
gracioso/a – funny, amusing
serio/a – serious
tímido/a – shy
valiente – brave
loco/a – crazy
Hand-picked for you: Spanish Personality Traits: 100+ Ways to Describe Someone
Appearance
bajo/a – short
alto/a – tall
gordo/a – fat
delgado/a – thin
joven – young
viejo/a – old
lindo/a – pretty
bonito/a, guapo/a – good-looking
feo/a – ugly
rubio/a – blonde
moreno/a – dark-haired
pelirrojo/a – red-haired
pelón – bald
grande – big, large
pequeño/a – small
Emotional States
emocionado/a – excited
alegre, feliz– happy
paciente – patient
contento/a – pleased
orgulloso/a – proud
relajado/a – relaxed
deprimido/a – depressed
dolido/a – hurt
triste – sad
infeliz – unhappy
preocupado/a – worried
incómodo/a – uncomfortable
Example Sentences
- Mi hermana es baja y rubia.
My sister is short and blonde. - Me siento preocupada por mi papá.
I’m worried about my dad. - Mi primo siempre ha sido gracioso.
My cousin has always been funny.
For more Spanish adjectives to describe people, see
- How to Give Compliments in Spanish for Formal and Informal Occasions
- A Giant List of 119 Nations and Nationalities in Spanish
Spanish Describing Words: Adjectives for Places
The Spanish adjectives in this section are perfect for describing both natural and manmade places in detail. The categories are general place adjectives, weather-related descriptors, and atmosphere describing words.
General Place Adjectives
bueno/a – good
bello/a, hermoso/a – beautiful, picturesque
abierto/a – open
cerrado/a – closed
limpio/a – clean
sucio/a – dirty
ancho/a – wide
estrecho/a – narrow
lejano/a – far
cercano/a – close
rugoso/a – rugged
Weather-related Adjectives
caluroso/a – hot
frío/a – cold
seco/a – dry
mojado/a – wet
húmedo/a – humid
soleado/a – sunny
nublado/a – cloudy, foggy
lluvioso/a – rainy
nevado/a, nevoso/a – snowy
Atmosphere-related Adjectives
tranquilo/a – tranquil
caótico/a – chaotic
silencioso/a – quiet
ruidoso/a – loud, noisy
natural – natural
artificial – artificial
festivo/a – festive
aburrido/a – boring
oscuro/a – dark
brillante – bright, brilliant
casual – casual
formal – formal
Example Sentences
- El paisaje es rugoso y el clima es caluroso.
The landscape is rugged and the climate is warm - Ese parque está muy lejano. ¿Podemos ir a otro?
That park is too far away. Can we go to a different one? - Me gusta el lugar porque está silencioso y tranquilo.
I like the place because it’s quiet and tranquil.
Colors are also describing words in Spanish! Read our Vibrant Guide to Colors in Spanish with Phrases and Practice.
See also: How to Describe the World in Spanish: A Fun Guide for Explorers
Spanish Describing Words: Adjectives for Things
Use the adjectives in this section to describe “things”—a broad category that encompasses everything from personal belongings to objects to concepts and ideas.
General Thing Adjectives
caro/a – expensive
barato/a – cheap
nuevo/a – new
antiguo/a – old, antique
pesado/a – heavy
ligero/a – light
lleno/a – full
vacío/a – empty
suave – smooth
áspero/a – rough
blando/a – soft
duro/a – hard
Example Sentences
- Esta caja es demasiado pesada para mí.
This box is too heavy for me. - Este libro es más ligero de lo que parece.
This book is lighter than it looks. - Esta galleta no se puede comer, está durísima.
I can’t eat this cookie; it’s really hard.
Spanish Adjectives for Concepts and Ideas
maravilloso/a – marvelous, amazing
repugnante – disgusting
injusto/a – unfair
justo/a – fair
rápido/a – fast
lento/a – slow
fácil – easy
simple – simple
complicado/a – complicated
difícil – difficult
importante – important
increíble – incredible
Example Sentences
- Tu idea es maravillosa.
Your idea is wonderful. - Eres demasiado rápido para mí.
You’re too fast for me. - Ojalá la vida no fuera tan complicada.
I wish life weren’t so complicated.
Use Spanish Describing Words in Conversation!
Now that you know how to use Spanish adjectives to describe people, places, things and ideas, it’s time to practice using your newfound skills! To improve your Spanish ability in a fun and effective way, book a free trial class with one of our friendly, native Spanish-speaking teachers and have a conversation about the fascinating people, places and things in your life. You’ll be amazed by how quickly you can learn Spanish through personalized, one-on-one online classes!
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