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Learn how to form Spanish adjectives from nouns using suffixes like -ado/a and -oso/a, with practical examples such as "soleado" (sunny), "lluvioso" (rainy), and "ventoso" (windy). This lesson helps you describe weather conditions clearly and naturally.
  1. To form adjectives from nouns, we add suffixes. For example: "ado/a" or "oso/a".
  2. The root may change slightly. For example: "hielo" becomes "helado".
SustantivoAdjetivo
El solSoleado (Sunny)/a
La lluviaLluvioso (Rainy)/a
La nieveNevado (Snowy)/a
La nubeNublado (Cloudy)/a
El vientoVentoso (Windy)/a
El granizoGranizado (Hail-covered)/a
La sequíaSeco (Dry)/a
La humedadHúmedo/a (Humid)
El hieloEstá helado (It is icy)/a

 

Exercise 1: Adjetivos derivados de un sustantivo: "-ado/a, -oso/a, ..."

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

húmedo, lluvioso, nublado, nevada, seco, soleado, helado

1.
La montaña está ... en invierno.
(La montaña está nevada en invierno.)
2.
El lago está ... y podemos patinar.
(El lago está helado y podemos patinar.)
3.
El clima en la selva es muy ....
(El clima en la selva es muy húmedo.)
4.
Hoy está .... Hace buen tiempo.
(Hoy está soleado. Hace buen tiempo.)
5.
El suelo está .... Hay mucho calor en el verano.
(El suelo está seco. Hay mucho calor en el verano.)
6.
El cielo está .... No hay sol.
(El cielo está nublado. No hay sol.)
7.
Ayer fue un día ... y gris.
(Ayer fue un día lluvioso y gris.)

Exercise 2: Dialogue completion

Instruction: Complete the dialogue with the correct solution

1. Hoy el cielo está muy _______ y parece que va a llover.

( Today the sky is very _______ and it looks like it is going to rain.)

2. En invierno hace mucho _______ y la nieve cubre las montañas.

( In winter it is very _______ and the snow covers the mountains.)

3. Después de la tormenta, el aire está fresco y _______.

( After the storm, the air is fresh and _______.)

4. Cuando el sol está fuerte, el día es _______ y caluroso.

( When the sun is strong, the day is _______ and hot.)

5. La temperatura es baja porque está _______ en las montañas.

( The temperature is low because it is _______ in the mountains.)

6. El tiempo está _______ hoy, no hay ni una nube en el cielo.

( The weather is _______ today, there isn’t a single cloud in the sky.)

Adjectives Derived from Nouns: "-ado/a", "-oso/a", and More

This lesson focuses on how to form Spanish adjectives from nouns by adding specific suffixes. Understanding this process helps describe qualities related to things or conditions, enriching your vocabulary and making your speech more descriptive.

How Adjectives Are Formed

In Spanish, many adjectives come from nouns by adding endings like "-ado/a" or "-oso/a". Sometimes, the root of the noun slightly changes when the adjective is formed. For example, hielo (ice) changes to helado (iced or frozen).

Examples of Derived Adjectives

NounAdjective
El solSoleado/a
La lluviaLluvioso/a
La nieveNevado/a
La nubeNublado/a
El vientoVentoso/a
El granizoGranizado/a
La sequíaSeco/a
La humedadHúmedo/a
El hieloEstá helado/a

Key Points to Remember

  • The suffix "-ado/a" often indicates something characterized by or having the property of the noun, such as soleado (sunny), from sol.
  • "-oso/a" expresses abundance or fullness of a quality, like lluvioso (rainy), from lluvia.
  • Some adjectives like seco (dry) do not obviously follow this pattern but are related to their base noun sequía (drought).
  • Adjective endings agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, so pay attention to -o/-a.

Differences and Useful Expressions

Unlike English, where adjectives often come from separate words or participles, Spanish frequently uses suffixes to form adjectives directly from nouns. For example, rain becomes rainy by adding "-y" in English, while Spanish forms lluvia to lluvioso/a.

Useful adjectives for weather and environment include soleado (sunny), nublado (cloudy), ventoso (windy), and helado (frozen). When describing conditions, you can say:

  • Hoy el cielo está muy nublado. (Today the sky is very cloudy.)
  • El día está soleado y caluroso. (The day is sunny and hot.)
  • Después de la tormenta, el aire está fresco y ventoso. (After the storm, the air is fresh and windy.)

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