Tricky placement of adjectives
While studying Spanish, I've noticed that sometimes (most of the time), the adjectives go after the noun. Ex: La casa verde. But on some occasions, I've been told that some adjectives go before the noun. Ex: Simpáticas palabras. Why is this? Thank you for any feedback.
4 Answers
Sometimes it changes the meaning. Usually when describing a person if the adjective is in front, it is describing the person's character instead of a physical description.
un gran hombre = a great man,
un hombre grande = a big man,
viejo amigo = old friend,( have been friends for a long time)
amigo viejo = elderly friend,
I am not an expert but the adjective placement affects how it describes the noun.
Mi amigo simpático. - My friendly friend.
Mi simpático amigo. - My friend that I find to be friendlier than the others.
Palabras simpáticas. - Nice words.
Las simpáticas palabras. - The words that are nicer than the others.
Un ejemplo: Todos mis tarjetas de cumpleaños tienen palabras simpáticas pero esta tarjeta tiene las simpáticas palabras.
All of my birthday cards have nice words but this card has words nicer than the others.
Also for something that is normally a color, like snow is white unless contaminated, then adjective comes first.
Adjective before noum are usually used as a poetic license. Don't worry too much with it. whetever you put the adjective you will be understood.
Usually, adjectives come after the noun although sometimes you can use them before the noun. Sometimes it doesn't change the meaning of the sentence but another times, as the other answers says, the meaning can change.
And remember adjectives quantity are almost always before the noun:
Tengo muchos amigos Hay pocos estudiantes en la clase.
Also sometimes descriptive adjectives about an inherent quality come before the noun:
La blanca nieve
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