Adjectives in Their Place: Part 2
Put an adjective before a noun or after the noun in Spanish, and usually it makes only a subtle difference, if any, in the meaning. But there are some cases where the placement of the adjective makes significant enough of the difference that we would translate it differently in English.For an example, take the following two sentences: Tengo un viejo amigo. Tengo un amigo viejo. A "safe" translation of these two sentences would be fairly easy to come up with: "I have an old friend." But what does that mean? Does it mean that my friend is elderly? Or does it mean that the person has been a friend for a long time?
It may surprise you to find out that in Spanish the sentences aren't so ambiguous, for viejo can be understood differently depending on where it is in relation the noun that is described. Word order does make a difference. In this case, tengo un viejo amigo means "I have a longtime friend," and tengo un amigo viejo means "I have an elderly friend." Similarly, someone who has been a dentist for a long time is un viejo dentista, but a dentist who is old is un dentista viejo. Of course it is possible to be both — but in that case the word order will indicate what you're emphasizing.
Viejo is far from the only adjective that functions that way,
although the distinctions aren't nearly always as strong as they are with
viejo.
Here are examples of some of the more common such adjectives.
| antiguo | la antigua silla, the old chair
la silla antigua, the antique chair |
| grande | un gran hombre, a great man
un hombre grande, a big man |
| mismo | el mismo atleta, the same athlete
el atleta mismo, the athlete himself |
| nuevo | el nuevo libro, the newly acquired book
el libro nuevo, the newly made book |
| pobre | esa pobre mujer, that poor woman (in the sense of being pitiful)
esa mujer pobre, that woman who is poor |
| propio | mi propios zapatos, my own shoes
mis zapatos propios, my appropriate shoes |
| solo | un solo hombre, only one man
un hombre solo, a lonely man |
| triste | un triste viaje, a dreadful trip
un viaje triste, a sad trip |
| único | la única estudiante, the only student
una estudiante única, a unique student |
These meanings aren't always hard and fast and can depend to a certain extent on context. Some of the words also have other meanings; solo, for example, can also mean "alone." And in some cases, as with nuevo, placement can also be a matter of emphasis rather than simply of meaning. But this list does provide a guide that should be useful in helping determine the meaning of some double-meaning adjectives.
Adjectives and Word Order
Adjective Word Order: A Quiz
Other Grammar Lessons
Adjectives for
Beginners
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