How to Use Relative Adjectives in Spanish
Do you know how relative adjectives in Spanish differ from regular adjectives? Or how they’re different from relative pronouns?
Keep reading to find out. I’ll show you how relative adjectives in Spanish are similar to and different from regular adjectives, and I’ll teach you how to use them in a sentence. You’ll get to know all the possible forms of relative adjectives in Spanish and see them used in example sentences to deepen your understanding.
Let’s get started!
What are Relative Adjectives in Spanish?
First, remember that adjectives are a part of speech that modifies a noun.
Es una manzana roja.
It’s a red apple.
Roja is an adjective that gives you information about the apple.
So, what are relative adjectives in Spanish?
They also give us information about a noun in the sentence by identifying it. In addition, they introduce a relative clause that explains something about the noun.
Relative adjectives in Spanish work as a link between a noun or pronoun and the subordinate relative sentence.
Acabo de ver un gato cuyo pelo era blanco como la nieve.
I just saw a cat whose fur was white as snow.
The relative adjective is cuyo. It gives information about the noun gato. It introduces the relative clause pelo era blanco como la nieve.
There are only two relative adjectives in Spanish:
- cuyo – whose
- cuanto – as many, as much
But there are some things you need to know to use these relative adjectives in Spanish correctly.
How to Use Relative Adjectives in Spanish
Remember that the relative adjectives in Spanish give us additional information about the noun—and they always come right before a noun in the relative clause.
What’s more, they need to agree in gender and number with the noun that follows them. Let’s take an in-depth look at the forms and uses of cuyo and cuanto.
Cuyo (whose)
Cuyo translates into “whose.” It must agree in gender and number with the possessed noun, not the possessor. In other words, it agrees with the noun that follows it, not the one that precedes it.
It’s the other way around when cuyo is a relative pronoun. Read RAE’s extensive explanation of cuyo in Spanish.
The four forms of cuyo are:
- cuyo – masculine singular
- cuya – feminine singular
- cuyos – masculine plural
- cuyas – feminine plural
Let’s take another look at the same sentence.
Acabo de ver un gato cuyo pelo era blanco como la nieve.
I just saw a cat whose fur was white as snow.
It’s cuyo, because pelo is masculine singular. The word cuyo agrees here with pelo. But look what happens if I change the cat’s body part in the sentence.
Acabo de ver un gato cuya cola era blanca como la nieve.
I just saw a cat whose tail was white as snow.
Acabo de ver un gato cuyos bigotes eran blancos como la nieve.
I just saw a cat whose whiskers were white as snow.
Acabo de ver un gato cuyas patas eran blancas como la nieve.
I just saw a cat whose legs were white as snow.
Notice how the form of cuyo changed according to the possessed noun that follows it?
Cuanto (as much)
Cuanto, the other Spanish relative adjective, is a bit trickier to translate into English. It roughly translates most of the time to “as many as” or “as much as.”
Cuanto also has four grammar forms and must agree in number and gender with the noun that follows it:
- cuanto – masculine singular
- cuanta – feminine singular
- cuantos – masculine plural
- cuantas – feminine plural
Juan bebió cuanta agua había en la jarra.
Juan drank as much water there was in the pitcher.
Pídeme cuantas cosas necesites.
Ask me for as many things as you need.
Ahorra cuanto dinero puedas.
Save as much money as you can.
Examineremos cuantos estudiantes podamos a lo largo de la mañana.
We will examine as many students as we can throughout the morning.
Remember not to put an accent mark over cuanto when it’s in a sentence as a relative adjective. (Cuánto does have an accent mark when it’s a question, as in ¿cuánto cuesta?)
Cuanto is also a relative interrogative, relative adverb, and relative pronoun. To learn more, check out Cuantos vs Cuantas: How Many in Spanish.
Quiz on Relative Adjectives in Spanish
Ready to see how much you’ve learned about relative adjectives in Spanish? Look at the following sentences with cuanto and cuyo in Spanish and choose the correct form.
1. Matías, _________ hermana está enferma, no vendrá a clase.
2. Aquí encontrarás _________ información necesites.
3. Canta _________ canciones sepas en Español.
4. _________ más esfuerzo hagas, más aprenderás.
5. Gastó _________ dinero tenía en ropa y zapatos.
6. Había acudido a él _________ juventud y talento le daban la ventaja.
7. Los niños, _________ casa están ahí, no tienen mucha suerte en la vida.
8. María es la chica _________ padres no tienen tiempo para ella.
9. Pedro, _________ coche puedes ver ahora, es amigo mío.
10. Tiré _________ papeles encontré en mi cajón.
Give Your Spanish a Boost
Well done! Relative adjectives in Spanish are no longer a mystery to you. You’re one step closer to fluency in Spanish and all that comes with it!
Did you know that studying another language has other benefits beyond simply knowing another language? Yes, for example, it helps improve your cognition and decision-making abilities, which will help you in many areas of life!
If you’re serious about your Spanish and becoming fully bilingual, don’t forget to practice your language skills. The best way to control your progress is in one-to-one classes with a professional who can correct and challenge you. Sign up for a free trial class with one of our friendly, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala to practice your relative adjectives in Spanish and give your Spanish skills a boost.
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Above, in your example sentences for having the relative adjective agree with the noun following it, there is a possible error. Please look at the first example sentence for cuanto. Isn’t agua masculine? So, perhaps it should be changed to correct that or you may want to use a drink in a feminine form such as limonada?
Hello!
In Spanish, the word “agua” is actually feminine. We use “el” with words that begin with a stressed “a”. That is why it is “el agua” and not “la agua”
That is also why in the example sentence “cuanta” is feminine and not masculine.
I hope this helps!