basic question on nouns and adjectives

Question

pretty basic question here: Do I understand correctly that when someone says 'Estoy consado' that estar requires an adjective to follow, so that we would choose either consado or consada depending on ones sex. However with Tener, it is followed by a noun as in Tengo frio, where frio is "coldness", so that there is not fria/frio choice? Is there a better way to understand this? thanks ahead of time for an answer

Answer 1

You're mostly right. The only thing is that estar isn't always followed by an adjective. However, when it is followed by an adjective, the adjective has to match the thing that's being described, as you said.

Estar can also be used without adjectives. For example, it can be used to say where something is:

Estoy en la oficina = I am in the office.

Answer 2

I'm no sure if I am right but I would say that the adjective agrees with your gender when it is something you are, ie after the verb ser, or estar, like casado(a) but doesn't need to when you are talking about something you have, ie after tener, it doesn't have to agree, like frio.

I'm sure there is a more technical explanation but that's how I remember, or try to.

In "tengo frío", frío is a noun. Only adjectives have to consider matching its gender. - pesta, Feb 1, 2012

Answer 3

Your understanding is correct.