Why Do Adjectives Sometimes Go Before the Noun?

If you're a beginning Spanish student, you may have had it drilled into your head that descriptive adjectives come after the noun — so that phrases such as salsa verde (green sauce), examen difícil (difficult exam) and hombre feliz (happy man) are the norm. In real Spanish, though, descriptive adjectives often come first, as these phrases from today's news show: nuevas movilizaciones (new demonstrations), fuertes amenazas (strong threats) and buena idea (good idea). Take a look at our recently updated lesson on adjective placement to see what those phrases have in common.