Spanish agreement rules explain how adjectives, articles, and verbs change their endings to match the gender and number of the nouns or subjects they relate to in Spanish sentences.
Spanish agreement rules govern how certain words change their endings to match the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of other words in the sentence. This is most important for adjectives, articles, pronouns, and verb conjugations that refer to a subject.
Types of Agreement
There are three main types of agreement in Spanish:
- Noun-Adjective Agreement: Adjectives must match the noun they describe in gender and number.
- Article-Noun Agreement: Definite and indefinite articles must match the noun in gender and number.
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Verbs must be conjugated to agree with the subject pronoun (person and number).
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Noun-Adjective Agreement
Adjectives change their endings to match the gender and number of the noun.
Examples:
- chico alto (tall boy) → chica alta (tall girl)
- chicos altos (tall boys) → chicas altas (tall girls)
When adjectives don’t change for gender
Some adjectives have only one form for both masculine and feminine (especially those ending in -e or a consonant):
- inteligente → chica inteligente / chico inteligente
- joven → chica joven / chico joven
Summary
| Noun | Adjective (masc. / fem.) | Noun + Adjective Example (sing.) | Noun + Adjective Example (pl.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| chico (boy) | alto / alta | chico alto | chicos altos |
| chica (girl) | alto / alta | chica alta | chicas altas |
| persona (person) | inteligente / inteligente | persona inteligente | personas inteligentes |
| estudiante (student) | joven / joven | estudiante joven | estudiantes jóvenes |
Article-Noun Agreement
Articles must match the noun’s gender (masc./fem.) and number (sing./pl.).
- Definite articles: el, la, los, las
- Indefinite articles: un, una, unos, unas
Examples:
- el libro (the book) / la mesa (the table)
- los libros (the books) / las mesas (the tables)
- un libro (a book) / una mesa (a table)
- unos libros (some books) / unas mesas (some tables)
Summary
| Singular Masculine | Singular Feminine | Plural Masculine | Plural Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| el / un | la / una | los / unos | las / unas |
| el gato / un gato | la gata / una gata | los gatos / unos gatos | las gatas / unas gatas |
Subject-Verb Agreement
Verbs must be conjugated to agree with the subject pronoun in person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and number (singular/plural).
Examples with hablar (to speak):
- yo hablo (I speak)
- tú hablas (you speak)
- él/ella habla (he/she speaks)
- nosotros hablamos (we speak)
- ellos hablan (they speak)
Summary
| Subject Pronoun | Hablar (to speak) | Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | Yo hablo español. | I speak Spanish. |
| tú | hablas | Tú hablas inglés. | You speak English. |
| él/ella | habla | Ella habla francés. | She speaks French. |
| nosotros | hablamos | Nosotros hablamos chino. | We speak Chinese. |
| ellos | hablan | Ellos hablan alemán. | They speak German. |
Agreements in Compound Subjects
When two or more subjects are joined by y (and), the verb is plural. If the subjects differ in gender, the masculine plural form is used.
Examples:
- Juan y María hablan español.
- El niño y el hombre son altos.
- La niña y la mujer son altas.
- Los niños y las niñas son altos (masc. plural by rule).
Common Mistakes
- Matching adjectives/articles to the wrong noun (gender/number mismatch)
- Forgetting to pluralize adjectives/articles for plural nouns
- Using singular verb forms with plural subjects
- Assuming all adjectives ending in -o/-a have two forms (some end in -e or a consonant)
Summary Tables
Noun-Adjective Agreement
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| chico alto / chica alta | chicos altos / chicas altas |
| persona inteligente | personas inteligentes |
| estudiante joven | estudiantes jóvenes |
Article-Noun Agreement
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| el libro / la mesa | los libros / las mesas |
| un libro / una mesa | unos libros / unas mesas |
Subject-Verb Agreement (Hablar example)
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| yo hablo | nosotros hablamos |
| tú hablas | vosotros habláis |
| él/ella habla | ellos hablan |
Note: “vosotros” is used mainly in Spain. In Latin America, “ustedes” is used with the 3rd plural form.
Resources
- <https://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/agreement> - StudySpanish: Grammar explanations and exercises on agreement.
- <https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/spanish-subject-verb-agreement> - SpanishDict: Detailed guide on subject-verb agreement.
- <https://www.weightlessspanish.com/post/spanish-agreement-rules> - Weightless Spanish: Understanding gender and number agreement rules.
Flashcards (1 of 5)
- Subject Pronoun: yo
- Hablar (to speak): hablo
- Example Sentence: Yo hablo español.
- English Translation: I speak Spanish.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
