Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives give you color, shape, size, and other details that make nouns vivid and specific. This guide goes over how they normally work in English and touches on adjectives that come from other forms.

Adjective Placement

Adjectives in English almost always come before the noun they describe, so you say a red car rather than a car red. This order helps listeners predict what kind of word comes next.

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Adjective Agreement

English adjectives do not change form to match the noun in number or gender, so you use the same adjective for a blue shirt and blue shirts. This makes English adjectives simpler than in some other languages.

Adjective Types

Descriptive adjectives describe qualities like color, size, shape, and texture. There are also adjectives that come from nouns or verbs, and each type can affect meaning and placement.

Color Adjectives

Color adjectives tell you what color something is, and they normally come straight before the noun: a green leaf, green leaves. They do not change form.

English Example	English Translation
The painting has a bright red sky.	El cuadro tiene un cielo rojo brillante.
The gallery wall is painted soft beige.	La pared de la galería está pintada de beige suave.
She wore a dress the color of deep blue velvet.	Ella llevaba un vestido del color de terciopelo azul profundo.
The sculpture was highlighted with warm golden light.	La escultura fue iluminada con luz dorada cálida.
They bought a vase in cool green glass.	Compraron un jarrón de vidrio verde frío.

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Size Adjectives

Size adjectives describe how big or small something is and usually come before color adjectives if you have more than one: a small green leaf. Size adjectives stay the same for singular or plural.

English Example	English Translation
A large canvas dominated the room.	Un gran lienzo dominaba la habitación.
Several small sketches were pinned to the board.	Varios bocetos pequeños estaban clavados en la tabla.
The medium-sized sculpture stood on a pedestal.	La escultura de tamaño mediano se apoyaba en un pedestal.
She carried a tiny notebook for quick ideas.	Ella llevaba un cuaderno diminuto para ideas rápidas.
The gallery featured an enormous mural on one wall.	La galería presentó un enorme mural en una pared.

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Shape Adjectives

Shape adjectives describe the form of a noun and also come before the noun: a round table. They do not change for number.

English Example	English Translation
The painting featured a round, glowing sun.	La pintura mostraba un sol redondo y brillante.
A square frame held the colorful collage.	Un marco cuadrado sostenía el collage colorido.
They displayed an oval mirror above the fireplace.	Colocaron un espejo ovalado sobre la chimenea.
The table had a sleek, rectangular surface.	La mesa tenía una superficie rectangular y elegante.
She sculpted a spiral form in clay.	Ella esculpió una forma en espiral en arcilla.

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Material Adjectives

Material adjectives tell you what something is made of and typically come before the noun: a wooden chair. They remain the same in singular or plural.

English Example	English Translation
The artist used soft, flowing fabric in the installation.	El artista utilizó tela suave y fluida en la instalación.
Wooden panels were arranged in a geometric pattern.	Paneles de madera se organizaron en un patrón geométrico.
They hung paintings with shiny metal frames.	Colgaron pinturas con marcos de metal brillante.
Stone sculptures lined the garden path.	Esculturas de piedra bordeaban el sendero del jardín.
She painted on a rough canvas with bold strokes.	Pintó sobre un lienzo rugoso con pinceladas audaces.

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Adjectives from Nouns

Some adjectives are formed from nouns and describe a related quality, like golden from gold or rusty from rust. These adjectives behave like normal adjectives in placement and form.

English Example	English Translation
The artist’s concept was innovative.	El concepto del artista fue innovador.
A vintage style framed the classic portrait.	Un estilo vintage enmarcaba el retrato clásico.
They attended a modern opening downtown.	Asistieron a una inauguración moderna en el centro.
The cultural festival featured colorful displays.	El festival cultural presentó exhibiciones coloridas.
She chose a dramatic angle for the photograph.	Eligió un ángulo dramático para la fotografía.

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Adjectives from Verbs

Adjectives that come from verbs often end in -ing or -ed and describe whether something causes an effect or has experienced it, like boring vs. bored. They go before the noun when used adjectivally.

English Example	English Translation
The glowing lights enhanced the painting’s details.	Las luces brillantes realzaron los detalles de la pintura.
A dripping effect added texture to the canvas.	Un efecto goteante añadió textura al lienzo.
The carved wooden frame was intricate and delicate.	El marco de madera tallada era intrincado y delicado.
They hung the framed photos neatly along the wall.	Colgaron las fotos enmarcadas ordenadamente a lo largo de la pared.
She wore a flowing dress that moved with the music.	Ella llevaba un vestido suelto que se movía con la música.

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Adjectives After the Noun

Some adjectives appear after the noun when they are part of a phrase or when the adjective is linked by a verb. English sometimes places descriptive adjectives after the noun for emphasis or in set expressions.

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Summary

Descriptive adjectives give you vivid details and almost always appear before the noun in English. Adjectives do not change form for number or gender, which keeps things straightforward.

Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025