Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 47

CEFR A2-B2

3 min read

Test yourself (20 questions)

Spanish Adjective Suffixes: -oso, -able, -ante, -al

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

A Spanish adjective suffix sits on a noun or a verb and adds a fixed meaning. Strip it off and the base word tells you the rest:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

the suffixWhat do the colours mean?
  • - dangerous (from , danger)
  • - acceptable (from , to accept)

Spanish adjective suffixes at a glance

Find the coloured suffix, then the base underneath.

SuffixMeansExampleBase
-full of, fame
-able, -iblecan be done
-, -entedoing it
-, -arrelating to
-icorelating to
-ivotending to
-dorgiven to doing
-és, -from a place

-oso: full of a noun

the suffixWhat do the colours mean?

-oso goes on a noun and means full of it, or having a lot of it.

NounAdjectiveEnglish
dangerous
famous
proud
wonderful
noisy
lluviosorainy

It agrees like any -o adjective: -oso, -osa, -osos, -osas.

  • . - It's a very dangerous street.
  • . - I'm proud of you.

-able and -ible: it can be done to it

the suffixWhat do the colours mean?

-able goes on a verb and means the action can be done to the thing: is an that can be accepted. -ar verbs take -able; -er and -ir verbs take -ible.

VerbAdjectiveEnglish
acceptable
lavablewashable
recomendableadvisable
believable
understandable

Two things the table cannot show. These adjectives have one form for both genders: , . And in- in front gives the opposite:

  • ¡ ! - It's incredible!

-ante and -ente: doing the action

the suffixWhat do the colours mean?

-ante is the mirror image of -able: the thing does the action. is a film that surprises you. -ar verbs take -ante; -er and -ir verbs take -ente or -iente.

VerbAdjectiveEnglish
important
interesting
surprising
convenient
next, following

Like -able, they have one form for both genders: , an important piece of news. Many double as nouns for the person who does it: , a student; , a singer.

Done to it, or doing it? Ask what the adjective describes:

TypeSpanishEnglish
done to a believable story
doing it a surprising story
done to an acceptable plan
doing it an interesting plan

-al, -ico and -ivo: relating to

the suffixWhat do the colours mean?

These three turn a noun into "relating to it" or "of it".

NounAdjectiveEnglish
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

the suffixWhat do the colours mean?

-dor goes on a verb and describes someone given to the action. It takes -dora in the feminine.

VerbAdjectiveEnglish
hard-working
habladortalkative
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

the suffixWhat do the colours mean?

These go on a place name and say where someone or something is from.

PlaceMasculineFeminine
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

WrongRightWhy
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

What to do next

  1. Strip the suffix off each new adjective and find the base.
  2. Do the word-build and sort drills below.
  3. Then building verbs: -izar, -ecer, -ificar.

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/5

Build the adjective from the base and a suffix.

  1. dangerous (peligro)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. acceptable (aceptar)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. surprising (sorprender)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. national (nación)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  5. economic (economía)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Sort into groups

0/6

Is the thing done to, or does it do the action?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Tap the mistake.

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose the adjective that fits.

  1. A street with lots of danger is .

  2. A story that can be believed is .

  3. Something to do with the family: un problema

  4. A person who works hard is .

  5. Someone from Canada is .

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Frequently asked questions

What does -oso mean in Spanish?
Full of, or having a lot of, the noun it is built on. (danger) gives (dangerous), (fame) gives (famous), (pride) gives (proud). It agrees like any -o adjective: , , , .
What is the difference between -able and -ante?
-able (or -ible) means the action can be done to it: is an that can be accepted. -ante (or -ente) means it does the action: is a film that surprises. Neither changes for gender: , .
When is it -able and when -ible?
-ar verbs take -able: gives , gives lavable. -er and -ir verbs take -ible: gives , gives . The meaning is the same either way. Many -ible adjectives came from Latin rather than from a Spanish verb (, ), so not every one has a verb beside it.
Does comprehensive?
No. means understanding, of a person: (an understanding mother). Comprehensive is or exhaustivo. And , with -ible, means understandable: (an explanation that can be understood).
Why is it familiar but ?
Both suffixes mean relating to, and Spanish usually picks -ar when an l comes just before the ending, to avoid two l sounds close together: gives familiar, gives . Elsewhere it is -al: gives , gives . Treat it as a strong tendency rather than a law.