The apocope is the trimming of a word to use a shorter form without changing its basic meaning. In Spanish it appears mainly in words shortened before a noun. The idea remains the same, but the form changes depending on position. For example, bueno can appear as buen in a good book. Just like in Género Nominal and Número Nominal, the chosen form depends on the word it accompanies and how it combines with it.

Many shortened forms go before a masculine singular noun: buen amigo, primer día, algún problema. When those same words go after the noun, the full form is used: amigo bueno, día primero, problema alguno. The noun remains the core of the expression, and the shortened word modifies it from the front. If the noun is feminine or plural, the apocope usually does not appear: buena idea, primeras páginas, algunas personas.

Use of apocopated forms before the noun

Usage	Explanation
Position before the noun	The apocopated form is used when it goes right in front of a singular masculine noun.
Full form after	The long form is used when the word comes after the noun.

Bueno loses its final vowel and becomes buen before a singular masculine noun: un buen café. After the noun the form remains bueno: un café bueno. Malo shortens to mal in the same position: un mal día, but after the noun it becomes malo: un día malo. Primero and tercero also shorten to primer and tercer before a singular masculine noun: el primer tren, el tercer piso. After the noun they keep the full form: el tren primero, el piso tercero. If the noun is plural or feminine, the shortened form is not used.

Changes of bueno malo primero tercero

Idea
Bueno shortens to buen when it goes before a singular masculine noun.
Malo shortens to mal when it goes before a singular masculine noun.
Primero shortens to primer when it goes before a singular masculine noun.
Tercero shortens to tercer when it goes before a singular masculine noun.

Alguno is reduced to algún before a masculine singular noun: algún libro. Ninguno is reduced to ningún in the same position: ningún problema. The full forms appear when they go after the noun or when they do not accompany it: libro alguno, problema ninguno. Uno also changes to un before a masculine singular noun: un coche. That un functions as a short form of uno when introducing a noun. In front of a feminine noun, the normal form is una: una mesa.

Reduction of alguno ninguno uno

Idea
Alguno shortens to algún when it goes before a singular masculine noun.
Ninguno shortens to ningún when it goes before a singular masculine noun.
Uno shortens to un before a singular masculine noun.

Grande shortens to gran before a singular noun, masculine or feminine: un gran hombre, una gran casa. The full form grande appears after the noun: un hombre grande, una casa grande. Ciento reduces to cien before a noun: cien personas, cien años. That shortened form is used whenever ciento directly accompanies a noun. When it does not accompany a noun, it remains ciento: ciento veinte, ciento uno.

Reduction of grande y ciento

Idea
Grande shortens to gran before a singular noun.
Ciento reduces to cien before a noun.

Tanto shortens to tan before some uses with a noun, as in tan poca agua or in fixed expressions, but before a masculine singular noun the regular form is tanto: tanto trabajo. Mucho and poco behave as adjectives or determiners that must agree with the noun: mucho tiempo, poca leche, muchos libros, pocas sillas. They do not have a general apocope like buen or algún, but they do change form by gender and number. When modifying a singular masculine noun, the singular form is mucho and poco; with feminine singular, mucha and poca.

Use of tanto mucho poco before a noun

Usage	Explanation
High quantity	Use mucho or mucha before a noun to indicate a high amount.
Low quantity	Use poco or poca before a noun to indicate a small amount.
Comparative intensity	Use tanto or tanta before a noun to express a large measure or comparison.

Santo shortens to san before masculine proper names that begin with a consonant or with a stressed a: san Pedro, san Antonio. The full form santo is used in other contexts and also before certain names that preserve the traditional form, such as Santo Tomás in some fixed uses. In place names and established expressions, the form may be fixed by tradition: San Juan, Santiago, Santo Domingo. In these combinations, the form is not chosen solely by a general rule, but also by the established usage of the name.

santosantasan

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Se usa san antes de ciertos nombres masculinos de santos en expresiones fijasSe conserva santo cuando el nombre no pide apócope en la expresión fijaSe usa santa en nombres femeninos de santas y en expresiones religiosas fijas

Fixed forms of saints by name

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Spain	san	Use san before certain masculine saint names in fixed expressions.	Festejan a san Juan con una sandía enorme.They celebrate san Juan with a huge watermelon.
Mexico	santa	Use santa in feminine saint names and in fixed religious expressions.	La santa Rita de la piñata llegó puntual.The santa Rita of the piñata arrived on time.
Argentina	santo	Keep santo when the name does not require apocope in the fixed expression.	Le rezan a santo Tomás antes del examen de mate.They pray to santo Tomás before the mate exam.

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