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This lesson explains how past participles function as adjectives in Spanish, agreeing in gender and number. Key vocabulary includes "agotado/a" (exhausted), "lesionado/a" (injured), "sudado/a" (sweaty), and "cansado/a" (tired), which describe physical states.
  1. Past participles function as adjectives when they describe a state or characteristic. Example: "Los niños están cansados."
 Singular (Singular)Plural (Plural)
Masculino (Masculine)

Agotado

Él se siente agotado.  (He feels exhausted.)

Agotados

Ellos se sienten agotados.  (They feel exhausted.)

Lesionado

El chico está lesionado. (The boy is injured.)

Lesionados

Los chicos están lesionados. (The boys are injured.)

Femenino (Feminine)

Sudada

Ella está sudada. (She is sweaty.)

Sudadas

Ellas están sudadas. (They are sweaty.)

Cansada

Ella se siente cansada. (She feels tired.)

Cansadas

Ellas se sienten cansadas. (They feel tired.)

Exceptions!

  1. Participles that function as adjectives adapt in number and gender.

Exercise 1: El participio pasado como adjetivo: "-ado, -oso, ..."

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

relajadas, cansadas, lesionada, sudada, sudados, agotados, cansado, lesionado

1.
Después de correr, ellos están ....
(After running, they are sweaty.)
2.
El hombre está ... en las piernas.
(The man is injured in the legs.)
3.
Ella está ... y no puede ir a la escuela.
(She is injured and cannot go to school.)
4.
Ellas se han relajado y ahora se sienten ....
(They have relaxed and now they feel relaxed.)
5.
Ellos se sienten ... del trabajo.
(They feel exhausted from work.)
6.
Él se siente muy ... porque no ha dormido mucho.
(He feels very tired because he hasn't slept much.)
7.
Las chicas están ... después de correr.
(The girls are tired after running.)
8.
Amalia está ... porque está en el gimnasio.
(Amalia is sweaty because she is at the gym.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Después de correr, estoy muy ________ y necesito descansar.

(After running, I am very ________ and I need to rest.)

2. Ella está ________ porque hizo mucho ejercicio.

(She is ________ because she exercised a lot.)

3. Los jugadores ________ no pueden jugar el partido.

(The ________ players cannot play the match.)

4. Me siento ________ después de trabajar todo el día.

(I feel ________ after working all day.)

5. El ________ de cabeza me molesta mucho hoy.

(The ________ headache bothers me a lot today.)

6. Después de meditar, nos sentimos ________ y tranquilos.

(After meditating, we feel ________ and calm.)

The Past Participle as an Adjective in Spanish

This lesson explores how the past participle functions as an adjective, a useful way to describe states and characteristics in Spanish. The past participle often ends with -ado or -ido depending on the verb, and it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

Forms and Agreement

Past participles used as adjectives change form to match the subject:

  • Masculine singular: agotado, lesionado
  • Masculine plural: agotados, lesionados
  • Feminine singular: sudada, cansada
  • Feminine plural: sudadas, cansadas

Examples in Context

Consider these examples showing the agreement:

  • Él se siente agotado. (He feels exhausted.)
  • Ella está sudada. (She is sweaty.)
  • Los chicos están lesionados. (The boys are injured.)
  • Ellas se sienten cansadas. (They (female) feel tired.)

Understanding Gender and Number Agreement

In Spanish, adjectives including past participles must agree with the noun's gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This agreement is essential for correct grammar and clarity.

Key Points

  • An adjective describing a feminine singular noun ends with -a (e.g., cansada).
  • For a feminine plural noun, the adjective ends with -as (e.g., cansadas).
  • For masculine forms, singular ends with -o, plural with -os.

Comparisons with English

Unlike Spanish, English adjectives do not usually change form to match gender or number. For example, "tired" stays the same for all subjects. This makes Spanish agreement rules unique and important to master.

Useful Related Words:

  • Agotado/a/os/as: exhausted
  • Lesionado/a/os/as: injured
  • Sudado/a/os/as: sweaty
  • Cansado/a/os/as: tired

Remember, in Spanish you need to match the adjective to who or what it describes, while in English, adjectives generally stay the same regardless of the noun.

Lesson Summary

This lesson focused on the past participle's use as an adjective, highlighting gender and number agreement. Mastering this will improve your ability to describe conditions and states accurately in Spanish.

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