Spanish distinguishes short and long adjectives because position affects meaning. Gran goes before the noun and grande after, so choosing between them changes emphasis whether you highlight quality or size.
Gran
Use gran before a singular noun to mean "great," "important," or "remarkable" rather than literally large. It highlights value, status, or exceptional quality.
He was a great defender of civil rights.
Grande
Use grande after the noun to refer to physical size or literal magnitude. It can apply to things that are large in dimension, amount, or age when length is relevant.
Examples
Summary
Remember that gran shortens from grande and appears before singular nouns to signal figurative greatness, while grande follows the noun for concrete size. Switching them can change whether you praise someone or just describe their bulk.
Spanish distinguishes gran and grande by position and meaning, so choosing one or the other changes whether you praise someone or simply note size. This short guide shows when to use gran (figurative "great") versus grande (literal "big") with clear examples.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025