Why Buen/Bueno y Mal/Malo?

Question

Hola! I'm learning Spanish, and in my lessons, I am learning how to describe things as good or bad. But in them, sometimes I use buen and at others I use bueno. Sometimes they want me to use mal and sometimes malo. But they didn't explain why or when to change these words. Can anyone explain why I should sometimes put an O on the end of these two words? Gracias por la ayuda!

Try to read this lesson, from Grammar section http://www.spanishdict.com/topics/show/22 - 00b5f6c6, Mar 18, 2014

Alright, thanks :) - Ghosthawk, Mar 19, 2014

Answer 1

Depends on word order:

Mi vecino es un hombre muy bueno. ¡Que buen vecino tengo !

Ayer fue un día muy malo . Ayer tuve un mal día.

¡Que gran sorpresa! Que sorpresa muy grande.

Me gusta tu gran sombrero. ( I like you great hat)

Que sombrero muy grande tienes. ( What a big hat you have) In the last example the meaning changes.

So if it comes before the word it's describing, it doesn't have an O. But if it comes after, it has one? - Ghosthawk, Mar 17, 2014

Yes, normally it comes after, but if you stress thins, it comes before. I think, anyway. - annierats, Mar 17, 2014

Okay, gracias Annie :) - Ghosthawk, Mar 17, 2014

Chers, Ghost, I expect Kiwi or somebody will explain it better because the meaning can vary a bit. Mine is brief sort of summary. - annierats, Mar 17, 2014

Okay. If they don't, at least I have the general idea now. Thanks. It was really bothering me because I couldn't figure it out. Now my brain will survive :) - Ghosthawk, Mar 17, 2014

gracias a todos. - annierats, Apr 17, 2014

Answer 2

Dont worry my friend ,, this is called the concept of apocopation (shortening a word) .. for example de+el = del and a+el = al ,, similarly some adjectivies like bueno, malo, primero etc drop the last vowel when they meet the follwing three criteria :

1. Is used in masculine gender,
2. Is used in singular form
3. Comes before the noun.

If and only if it meets all the above conditions will the adjective be apocopated.. .. for examlple ,,buen trabajo but buena suerte (in the former it meets all three criteria but in the later it meets only 2 out of three as the gender is feminine so the later one is not apocopated)..

Very simple ,,

:-) - 007c5fc1, Apr 17, 2014

thanks for ur lovely smile Marg ,, bri ging a smile on some ones face is a good deed indeed ,, hehe - 00b055e0, Apr 17, 2014

bringing* - 00b055e0, Apr 17, 2014

Agreed :) I have learnt it as the contraction of the article :) :) - FELIZ77, Apr 17, 2014

hehe .. thanks feliz77 - 00b055e0, Apr 17, 2014

Gracias :) - Ghosthawk, Apr 17, 2014

most welcome ma'am - 00b055e0, Apr 17, 2014