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34 A SPANISH REFERENCE GRAMMAR POSITION OF ADJECTIVES 35
ciones americana y francesa, the American and French Revolutions. 162.
B. PLURAL OF ADJECTIVES.
The plural of adjectives is formed the same way as the plural of nouns (see 82, 83.): rico, ricos ; azul, azules. 163.
C. SHORTENED FORMS (apocopaciOn) of adjectives.
i. The following common adjectives drop the final -o when they precede a masculine singular noun: bueno, malo, uno, alguno, ninguno, primero, tercero, postrero (last, final). See 229. 164.
Grande is shortened to gran before a masculine or feminine singular noun beginning with a consonant: un gran capitán; una gran ciudad. Before a noun beginning with a vowel the full form is often found: de grande importancia. 165.
Santo is reduced to san before masculine proper names, except those that begin with To- or Do- : San Juan; Santo Tomas. 166.
Ciento becomes cien before a noun or another numeral which it modifies: cien hombres; cien mil pesos; but, ciento cinco, io5. 167.
D. POSITION OF ADJECTIVES.
I. Descriptive adjectives, especially those of physical quality, color, size, or nationality,
usually follow the noun, thus stressing the quality expressed: un libro grande; una casa blanca. 168.
Determinative adjectives, such as numerals, quantitatives, possessives, and demonstratives, usually precede their nouns: tres libros; el quinto asiento; mucho dinero; poca paciencia; estos senores; todo alumno. See also 208, 226. 169.
Adjectives that denote a characteristic quality of the noun, and those that are used in a figurative or rhetorical sense frequently precede: la blanca nieve, the white snow; una dulce brisa, a soft breeze. 170.
Some precede or follow the noun with a subtle difference in meaning. Such are bueno, malo, pequefio, hermoso, viejo, etc.: un buen muchacho, (epithetic), or, un muchacho bueno (descriptive). 171.
Some precede or follow, but with considerable difference in meaning. Such differences are those existing between the literal meaning (when they follow), and the figurative meaning (when they precede); but this distinction does not always hold true. Such are grande, pobre, cierto, caro, nuevo, varios, etc.: una ciudad grande, a large city, una gran ciudad, a great city (also a large city); un hombre pobre, a poor man, not rich, pobre hombre, poor man, an object of pity; una nueva casa, a new,
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