Ch 47 · Lesson 10Spanish · Chapter 47 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Adjective suffixes: -al, -ico, -ivo, -dor, -és
Relating to with -al, -ar and -ico (, familiar, ), -ivo (), -dor (), and where someone is from: , , , with a small letter.
The short version
-ico always carries a written accent
.
Why?Hide
-ico, relating to, pulls the stress back a syllable, so every adjective built with it needs a written accent: gives , gives . Its partners -al and -ar have one form for both genders ( ), while -ico and -ivo agree like any -o adjective ( ).
-al, -ico and -ivo: relating to
These three turn a noun into "relating to it" or "of it".
| Noun | Adjective | English |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| | national |
| | world, global |
| | family |
| | school |
| | historic |
| | economic |
| | sporty, sports |
-ar usually replaces -al when an l comes just before the ending: , , . An l further back does not count: .
-ico pulls the stress back to the syllable before it, so these adjectives always carry a written accent:
.- It's a historic day.
-al and -ar adjectives have one form for both genders: , the World Cup. -ico and -ivo agree like any -o adjective: , a sporty girl.
-dor: given to doing it
-dor goes on a verb and describes someone given to the action. It takes -dora in the feminine.
| Verb | Adjective | English |
|---|---|---|
| | hard-working |
| hablador | talkative |
| | charming |
trabajadora.- My sister is very hard-working.
The same words double as nouns for the person or the machine: , the winner; lavadora, the washing machine.
Where from: -és, -ano, -ense
These go on a place name and say where someone or something is from.
| Place | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Japón | | |
| | |
| México | | |
| Canadá | | |
-és loses its accent in the feminine and plural (, ). -ense has one form for both genders. And Spanish writes all of these with a small letter:
.- My friend is Japanese.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| idea interesanta | | - has one form |
| understanding: -iva; is can be understood | |
| -ico takes an accent | |
| nationalities: small letter | |
| francéses | | no accent in the plural |
| familial | | -ar after the l of |
Going further: Spanish adjective suffixes at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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