Grande vs Gran
Spanish distinguishes gran and grande by position and meaning, so choosing one or the other changes whether you praise someone or note physical size. This short guide shows when to use gran versus grande with clear examples.
🌟Audio Example
¡Qué gran sorpresa ver a tantos artistas en la plaza!
Gran
Use gran before a singular noun to mean "great," "important," or "remarkable" rather than literally large; it emphasizes quality or status. Gran shortens grande and always precedes the noun to signal figurative value.
🏅Audio Example
¡Qué gran persona es ella!
🏅Audio Example
¡Qué gran idea fue esa función comunitaria!
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Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🌟 Es un gran escritor conocido en todo el país. | He is a great writer known throughout the country. | Figurative praise before noun |
| 🌟 Fue un gran amigo en tiempos difíciles. | He was a great friend in difficult times. | Moral or personal greatness |
| 🌟 La conferencia tuvo un gran éxito. | The conference was a great success. | Figurative enhancement |
| 🌟 Es de gran importancia llegar a tiempo. | It is of great importance to arrive on time. | Formal emphasis |
More Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🌟 Tuvieron un gran detalle conmigo. | They had a great kindness toward me. | Kind gesture |
| 🌟 Es un gran científico en su campo. | He is a great scientist in his field. | Professional acclaim |
| 🌟 Hicieron un gran esfuerzo para ayudar. | They made a great effort to help. | Significant effort |
| 🌟 Fue un gran honor recibir el premio. | It was a great honor to receive the award. | Formal recognition |
Grande
Use grande after the noun to describe actual size, whether physical dimension or magnitude; it can appear with singular or plural nouns. Placing grande after the noun keeps the meaning literal and measurable.
🏛️Audio Example
¡Qué edificio tan grande es ese museo!
🏛️Audio Example
¡Qué casa tan grande tiene la familia!
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Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🏫 La universidad es grande y tiene muchos edificios. | The university is large and has many buildings. | Literal size |
| 🏡 Compraron una casa grande con jardín. | They bought a big house with a garden. | Physical largeness |
| 🐘 Vimos un elefante grande en el zoológico. | We saw a big elephant at the zoo. | Size of animal |
| 🚌 Llegó un autobús grande y colorido. | A large and colorful bus arrived. | Noticeable size |
More Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🛳️ Navegaron en un barco grande y elegante. | They sailed on a large and elegant ship. | Size and appearance |
| 🌳 Cortaron un árbol grande en el parque. | They cut down a big tree in the park. | Large natural object |
| 🛏️ Necesito una cama grande para más comodidad. | I need a big bed for more comfort. | Spacious furniture |
| 🚗 Compraron un coche grande y potente. | They bought a big and powerful car. | Size and strength |
Examples
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🌟 Es un gran escritor conocido en todo el país. | He is a great writer known throughout the country. | Figurative praise before noun |
| 🏫 La universidad es grande y tiene muchos edificios. | The university is large and has many buildings. | Literal size after noun |
| 👴 Fue un gran hombre en su comunidad. | He was a great man in his community. | Moral or social greatness |
| 🐘 El elefante es grande y pesa muchísimas toneladas. | The elephant is big and weighs many tons. | Physical largeness |
| 🎨 Tuvieron un gran éxito con la exposición. | They had a great success with the exhibition. | Figurative success |
| 🛳️ Viajaron en un barco grande y elegante. | They traveled on a large and elegant ship. | Size and appearance |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌟 Es un gran director, pero el teatro es grande. | He is a great director, but the theater is large. |
| 🏫 La gran universidad tiene edificios grandes. | The great university has large buildings. |
| 🌟 Tuvieron un gran éxito en la fiesta grande del barrio. | They had a great success at the big neighborhood party. |
| 🐕 Es un gran amigo y tiene un perro grande. | He is a great friend and has a big dog. |
Summary
Remember: use gran before singular nouns for figurative "great" and grande after the noun for literal "large"; switching them changes the sentence's sense. Think briefly whether you praise quality (gran) or describe size (grande) to choose the correct form.
✨Audio Example
Una palabra puede cambiar todo: decir "un gran artista" no es lo mismo que "un artista grande".
Use gran before singular nouns to mean great and grande after nouns to mean big; learn the nuance and avoid mixing them for correct emphasis and tone.
Spanish distinguishes gran and grande by position and meaning, so choosing one or the other changes whether you praise someone or note physical size. This short guide shows when to use gran versus grande with clear examples.
🌟Audio Example
¡Qué gran sorpresa ver a tantos artistas en la plaza!
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025