placement of adjectives

Question

the instructions i received through various classes tell me that the adjective always goes behind the noun it modifies: "the red car" becomes "el carro rojo".

But i see sentences that violate this rule. How do I know when it is permissible to violate the rule and/or what is the counter-rule that explains this?

e.g. "Cuando regresaban siempre nos contaban todas sus terribles historias." My spanish teacher says this is correct but cannot tell me the rule why.

Another good question. - --Mariana--, May 25, 2010

Answer 1

But i see sentences that violate this rule.

It's a general rule that adjectives follow the nouns that they modify. There are exceptions to this "rule."

Sometimes the meaning changes with placement:

1) Amigo viejo (my friend is old) vs. Viejo amigo (long-time friend)

2) Hombre grande (a big man) vs. Gran hombre (a great man)

Here is lesson that includes a list of adjectives that are placed after the noun.

In other words, it is not a "rule" but, rather, a "rule of thumb". - samdie, May 25, 2010