🌱Descriptions

Descripciones

A1 · Stage 1 · Week 4~60 minutes

After this lesson, you'll be able to:

  • ✓Understand noun gender (masculine/feminine)
  • ✓Use adjectives that agree with nouns in gender and number
  • ✓Describe people's appearance and personality
  • ✓Describe objects using colours and basic adjectives

Grammar Focus

Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.

Recap: Articles & Gender So Far

In the first three weeks, you've been using el and la (the) and un and una (a/an) without thinking too hard about why. You learned el hermano (the brother) vs la hermana (the sister) in Week 3, and un libro vs una mesa back in Week 2. This week, we dig into the rules behind this - noun gender - so you can get it right with any word, not just the ones you've memorised.

Examples:

el hermano, la hermanathe brother, the sister (Week 3)
un libro, una mesaa book, a table (Week 2)
buenos días, buenas nochesgood morning, good night - gender changes the adjective too!
Tip: You've already been using gender correctly in phrases you've memorised. Now you'll understand the patterns behind it - which means you can apply them to new words.

Noun Gender - Masculine & Feminine

Every Spanish noun is either masculine or feminine. This isn't about biology - even objects like "table" or "book" have a gender! This is why we said "buenos días" (masculine) but "buenas noches" (feminine) back in Week 1. Here's how to recognise gender:

Examples:

-o → masculine: el libro, el vaso, el hermanothe book, the glass, the brother
-a → feminine: la mesa, la casa, la hermanathe table, the house, the sister
-ción, -sión → feminine: la nación, la televisiónthe nation, the television
-dad, -tad → feminine: la ciudad, la libertadthe city, the freedom
-ma → masculine (Greek origin): el problema, el programathe problem, the programme
Tip: The -o/-a rule works most of the time, but there are exceptions. "El día" (day) is masculine despite ending in -a. "La mano" (hand) is feminine despite ending in -o. Don't stress - you'll learn these naturally over time!

Adjective Agreement - Gender

Remember in Week 2 when we said "cansado" vs "cansada"? Now you'll understand why! Adjectives must match the gender of the noun they describe. Many adjectives have four forms: masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural, feminine plural.

Examples:

El chico es alto. / La chica es alta.The boy is tall. / The girl is tall.
El libro es interesante. / La película es interesante.The book is interesting. / The film is interesting.
Mi hermano está cansado. / Mi hermana está cansada.My brother is tired. / My sister is tired.
El profesor español. / La profesora española.The Spanish teacher (m/f).
Tip: Most adjectives ending in -e or a consonant (like "interesante", "joven", "amable") don't change for gender - they stay the same for both masculine and feminine! The exceptions are nationalities (español/española) and adjectives ending in -or (trabajador/trabajadora).

Adjective Agreement - Number

Adjectives also match the number (singular/plural) of the noun. To make adjectives plural: add -s after a vowel, add -es after a consonant.

Examples:

Los chicos son altos. / Las chicas son altas.The boys are tall. / The girls are tall.
Los libros son interesantes.The books are interesting.
Mis hermanos son jóvenes.My siblings are young.
Las ciudades son grandes.The cities are big.
Tip: For mixed groups (masculine + feminine), use the masculine plural form: "Juan y María son altos" (not "altas"). The masculine form is used for any mixed group.

Profession Gender Patterns

Back in Week 2, we mentioned professions change for gender. Now you can understand the full pattern! Most professions follow the -o/-a pattern, but some have special rules.

Examples:

-o/-a: médico/médica, abogado/abogadadoctor, lawyer - regular pattern
-or/-ora: profesor/profesora, doctor/doctorateacher, doctor - add -a for feminine
-ista: artista, periodista, dentistaartist, journalist, dentist - same for both!
-nte: estudiante, cantante, gerentestudent, singer, manager - same for both!
Tip: Professions ending in -ista and -nte are the same for men and women. Only the article changes: "el artista" (male artist), "la artista" (female artist).

Common Adjectives for Describing People

Here are essential adjectives for describing people's appearance and personality. Remember: they must agree with the noun!

Examples:

alto/alta ↔ bajo/bajatall ↔ short (height)
delgado/delgada ↔ gordo/gordathin ↔ fat
guapo/guapa ↔ feo/feahandsome/beautiful ↔ ugly
simpático/simpática ↔ antipático/antipáticanice/friendly ↔ unfriendly
inteligente, amable, jovenintelligent, kind, young - same for m/f
Tip: Be careful with "gordo/gorda" - it can be offensive. Use "un poco gordito/gordita" (a bit chubby) or simply describe other features instead.
🌎
Regional Note: Diminutives (-ito/-ita) are very common in Mexico and Latin America, used to soften words or show affection: cafecito (little coffee), ahorita (right now), chiquito (tiny). You'll hear them constantly in everyday speech!

Colours as Adjectives

Colours are adjectives, but they follow three different agreement patterns depending on their ending.

Examples:

rojo → roja → rojos → rojas-o colours: change for gender AND number
El coche rojo. / La casa roja.The red car. / The red house.
verde → verdes, azul → azules-e/-consonant colours: only change for number
Los ojos azules. / Las puertas azules.The blue eyes. / The blue doors.
naranja, rosa, violeta, lilaNoun-derived colours: usually don't change
la camisa naranja → las camisas naranjaSame form for singular and plural!
Tip: Colours from nouns usually don't change: naranja (orange fruit), rosa (rose), violeta (violet), lila (lilac), turquesa (turquoise), crema (cream), salmón (salmon).

Conversation Example

Ana and Pablo are looking at photos from a party.

Ana
Mira, esta es mi amiga Laura.Look, this is my friend Laura.
Pablo
¿La chica rubia?The blonde girl?
Ana
Sí, es alta y tiene los ojos azules.Yes, she's tall and has blue eyes.
Pablo
¡Es muy guapa! ¿Cómo es?She's very pretty! What's she like?
Ana
Es muy simpática y divertida. Y este es mi amigo Marcos.She's very nice and fun. And this is my friend Marcos.
Pablo
¿El chico moreno con la camisa azul?The dark-haired guy with the blue shirt?
Ana
Sí, es un poco serio pero muy inteligente.Yes, he's a bit serious but very intelligent.
Pablo
¿Y quién es la señora mayor?And who's the older lady?
Ana
Es mi abuela. Es muy amable y tranquila.That's my grandmother. She's very kind and calm.

🌍 Describing People in Spanish Culture

Spanish speakers tend to be more direct when describing physical appearance. Comments like "¡Estás más gordo!" (You've gained weight!) are often made without offence - it's considered an observation, not an insult. However, this varies by region and relationship. When meeting someone, commenting on appearance is common and usually meant positively. Hair colour descriptions like "rubio" or "moreno" are used frequently, and calling someone "guapo/guapa" is a common compliment.

Want to learn more?

📚Noun gender guide→📚Adjective agreement→📚Colours in Spanish→