DELE A1 Guide: Common Adjectives and Descriptions
Want to practice first? Try a General Adjectives Quiz!
Key Takeaways
- Learn essential Spanish adjectives for descriptions
- Master adjective-noun gender agreement
- Understand adjective placement in sentences
- Learn common adjective opposites
- Essential for DELE A1 descriptions and conversations
Welcome to your complete guide to Spanish adjectives, essential for describing people, places, and things on the DELE A1 exam. Adjectives help you create detailed descriptions and are crucial for both speaking and writing sections.
What are Adjectives in Spanish?
Adjectives are words that describe nouns (people, places, things). In Spanish, adjectives must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the nouns they describe. This agreement is fundamental for the DELE A1 exam.
Adjective Agreement Rules
Gender Agreement Chart
| Masculine Ending | Feminine Ending | Example (Masc/Fem) |
|---|---|---|
| -o | -a | alto/alta (tall) |
| -e | -e | inteligente/inteligente (intelligent) |
| -or | -ora | trabajador/trabajadora (hardworking) |
| -án | -ana | holgazán/holgazana (lazy) |
| -ón | -ona | hablador/habladora (talkative) |
Number Agreement Examples
- alto → altos (tall – masculine plural)
- alta → altas (tall – feminine plural)
- inteligente → inteligentes (intelligent – plural)
- feliz → felices (happy – plural)
DELE A1 Tip: Most adjectives ending in -o change to -a for feminine. Adjectives ending in -e or consonants typically don’t change for gender, but still change for number.
Essential Adjective Categories
Physical Descriptions
- alto/alta – tall
- bajo/baja – short
- joven – young
- mayor – old
- guapo/guapa – handsome/pretty
- moreno/morena – dark-haired
- rubio/rubia – blonde
Personality Traits
- simpático/simpática – nice
- antipático/antipática – unfriendly
- trabajador/trabajadora – hardworking
- perezoso/perezosa – lazy
- inteligente – intelligent
- amable – kind
Colors and Sizes
- rojo/roja – red
- azul – blue
- verde – green
- grande – big/large
- pequeño/pequeña – small
- largo/larga – long
- corto/corta – short
Adjective Placement
General Rule
Most adjectives come after the noun in Spanish:
- una casa grande (a big house)
- un libro interesante (an interesting book)
- un hombre alto (a tall man)
Exceptions (Come Before Noun)
- bueno/buena – good
- malo/mala – bad
- gran/grande – great
- pequeño/pequeña – small
- mucho/mucha – much/many
Common Adjective Opposites
Essential Pairs for DELE A1
- alto/bajo – tall/short
- grande/pequeño – big/small
- bueno/malo – good/bad
- nuevo/viejo – new/old
- bonito/feo – pretty/ugly
- rico/pobre – rich/poor
- feliz/triste – happy/sad
- rápido/lento – fast/slow
DELE A1 Exam Practice
Speaking Section Examples
- Describe family members: “Mi hermana es alta y simpática“
- Talk about your home: “Tengo una casa pequeña pero cómoda“
- Describe possessions: “Mi coche es rojo y nuevo“
- Talk about preferences: “Me gusta la comida mexicana“
Writing Section Examples
- Describe your best friend
- Write about your favorite place
- Describe your family home
- Talk about your daily routine using adjectives
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting gender agreement: ❌ “casa blanco” ✅ “casa blanca“
- Incorrect placement: ❌ “grande casa” ✅ “casa grande“
- Wrong plural forms: ❌ “chicos altas” ✅ “chicos altos“
Practice with Our Free Spanish Tools
Improve your adjective skills with our interactive tools:
Click here to open our Spanish Conjugation Tool!
Practice adjective agreement with different nouns and contexts.
Next Step: Test Your Knowledge!
Ready to check your understanding of Spanish adjectives?
Take our DELE A1 Common Adjectives Preparation Quiz here to confirm you’re ready for this part of the exam.
What’s Next in Your DELE A1 Journey?
- Ready for questions? Study Question Words Guide
- Need more description practice? Review Ser vs Estar
- Practice all A1 grammar? Take a Full A1 Grammar Test
Good luck with your DELE A1 preparation!
