In today’s post, I am going to share a list of 300+ adjectives in Spanish that start with A.
I will post these adjectives in alphabetical order in list format and I will provide example sentences for a few of the adjectives.
So, whether you are a Spanish learner looking to boost your Spanish vocabulary, or are working on adjectives in your Spanish classroom, this list of adjectives in Spanish that start with A is here to help you in your endeavors.
Keep reading to learn a little bit more about adjectives in Spanish and to see this list of over adjectives in Spanish that start with A.
How did I select these adjectives in Spanish that Start with A
Before I dive into this list of adjectives in Spanish that start with A, I just want to provide a little basis on how I chose these particular adjectives.
When I was a senior in high school, I was given a Collins Spanish Dictionary, 2006 version, for winning the award for “Excelencia en la Lengua Hispana” (Hispanic Language Excellence.)
I adore this book and reference it all the time as I explain in my post on ways that I learn Spanish outside of the classroom.
I have chosen this selection of adjectives from this very dictionary.
How did I choose which adjectives to include in this list?
I chose this Spanish adjectives list based on common Spanish adjectives and not-so-common ones that I have heard over the last 20 years of my professional years as a translator/researcher, and throughout my personal experiences with the Latino community and throughout my travels.
WHAT ARE ADJECTIVES AND HOW DO THEY WORK IN SPANISH?
Let’s do a really quick Spanish grammar lesson about adjectives.
Adjectives are descriptive words that describe a noun or a noun phrase.
Here are a few example in sentences in English and the Spanish sentence translation.
I live in a big house.
Vivo en una casa grande.
In this sentence, big is describing house.
My brother is tall and he has a very kind personality.
Mi hermano es alto y tiene una personalidad muy amable
In this sentence, we have two adjectives, tall and kind. Tall describes the brother, and kind describes his personality.
Did you notice that both of the adjectives in Spanish start with an A? A lead up to this long list of Spanish adjectives that start with A!!
HOW DO SPANISH ADJECTIVES DIFFER FROM ENGLISH ADJECTIVES?
Spanish adjectives work a little differently than English adjectives. How?
Well, just like Spanish nouns agree in number and gender of the noun, most adjectives have to do the same.
- The adjective ending for a singular, masculine noun ends in -o
- The ending for a singular, feminine form ends in -a
- The ending for a plural, masucline noun ends in -os
- The ending for a plural, feminine noun ends in -as
Let’s look at some examples:
- The tall boy. El niño alto.
- The tall girl. La niña alta.
- The tall boys. Los niños altos.
- The tall girls.Las niñas altas.
- The tall boys and girls. Los niños altos.
While in English, tall remains the same in each sentence, in Spanish, the adjective, alto, changes to agree with the number and gender of a noun.
Thus, in most cases, adjectives that end with -o, change to an -a when they are describing a female noun.
When the noun being described is plural, it ends in -os if describing masculine noun, or mixed gender (for example in the sentence about with girls and boys), and -as if describing plural feminine nouns (las chicas altas.)
But all adjectives don’t end with an o.
Yes, you’re right. A lot of adjectives in Spanish don’t end with an -o. So what do we do in these instances?
These adjectives keep their endings for both masculine and feminine nouns.
There is no gender agreement, but they do change in number. Let’s take a look.
Let’s draw four adjectives from this list that do not end in O:
- Alegre – Happy
- Arrogante -Arrogant
- Artesanal -Hand-made
- Audaz– Audacious
These adjectives all have different endings. So how can we make them plural?
- For adjectives that end in -e , add -S to the plural form.
Las mujeres alegres
The happy women.
Los hombre arrogantes
The arrogant men
- For adjectives that end in z, replace the z with c and add -es.
Los niños audaces
The audacious boys
- For adjectives that end in any other consonant other than z, simply add -es to the end of the word.
Las joyas artesanales
The hand-made jewelry
¿Entendiste? Did you get the gist?
For a more comprehensive guide on Spanish adjectives and adjective placement, check out this post by Spanish Academy.
I know gender and number agreement of adjectives can be quite a struggle, but the more you practice, the more natural it will become!
One of the best ways I trained myself to work on gender/number agreement was through listening to Spanish music and translating the lyrics. It all eventually just clicked. For more tips on how I achieved Spanish fluency, check out my post on 12 ways that I learned Spanish outside of the classroom.
Now, I’ll stop lecturing and rambling and send you to following list of Spanish adjectives that start with a.
300 +ADJECTIVES IN SPANISH THAT START WITH A
| Spanish | English |
| Abandonado | Abandoned, deserted, neglected |
| Abatido | Depressed |
| Abdominal | Abdominal |
| Aberrante | Aberrant |
| Abierto | Open |
El niño dejó la puerta abierta
The boy left the door open
| Abismado | Lost in thought, engrossed |
| Abnegado | Self-denying, self-sacrificing |
| Abobado | Bewildered |
| Abochornado | Embarrassed |
| Abombado | Stunned, perplexed |
| Abominable | Abominable |
| Abotargado | Swollen, bloated |
| Abovedado | Vaulted |
| Abrigado | Wrapped up, snug |
Abrigado is often used for the word snug in the sense of putting on a lot of clothes.
For example:
Aseguráte que el niño vaya bien abrigado, está muy frío afuera.
Make sure the boy is warmly dressed, it’s very cold outside.
| Abrumador | Overwhelming |
| Abrupto | Abrupt (tone) |
| Absolutista | Absolutist |
| Absoluto | Absolute, top priority. |
Tengo la absoluta certeza de que él va a llegar está noche.
I am absolutely certain that he is going to come tonight.
| Absorbente | Absorbent |
| Absorto | Absorbed, engrossed |
| Abstracto | Abstract |
| Abstraído | Withdrawn, preoccupied |
| Abúlico | Apathetic |
| Abultado | Bulky, unwieldy |
| Abundante | Abundant, copious |
| Aburrido | Bored |
Aburrido is an adjective that can be used to modify something boring, for example:
Este libro es muy aburrido.
This book is very boring.
Este partido es súper aburrido.
This game is super boring.
You can also use the phrase, ¡qué aburrido!, to say how boring!
When talking about someone or oneself being bored, make sure to attach the verb estar before aburrido.
¿Qué vamos a hacer?, ¡estoy muy aburrida!
What are we going to do? I am so bored!
| Aburridor | Boring |
| Abusado | Sharp, cunning, |
| Abusivo | Unfair, outrageous |
| Abyecto | Wretched, abject |
Pon el vaso acá para que no se vaya a caer.
Put the glass here so that it doesn’t fall.
| Acabado | Finished |
| Académico | Academic |
| Acalorado | Heated (discussion) |
| Acalórico | Low-calorie |
| Acampanado | Bell-shaped, bell-bottomed (pants) |
| Acaramelado | Lovey-dovey |
| Acartonado | Like cardboard |
| Acaudalado | Well-off, affluent |
| Accessible | Accessible |
| Accidentado | Injured (Medical), rough (terrain) |
| Accidental | Accidental |
| Aceitoso | Oily |
| Acelerado | Rapid |
| Acendrado | Pure, unembellished |
| Aceptable | Acceptable |
| Acertado | Right, correct |
| Achacoso | Sickling, Ailing |
| Achaparrado | Stunted, stocky |
| Achinado | Slanted (eyes) |
| Aciago | Ill-fated, fateful |
| Acicalado | Smart, spruce |
| Ácido | Sour, acid |
| Aclaratorio | Explanatory |
| Acolchado | Quilted, padded |
| Acomodadizo | Accommodating, obliging |
| Acomodado | Well-to-do |
| Acompañado | In company with someone, accompanied |
Ella está acompañada por su papá.
She is with her dad.
| Acompasado | Rhythmic, measured |
| Acomplejado | Neurotic, hung-up |
| Acomplejante | Embarrassing, inhibiting |
| Aconsejable | Advisable |
| Acostado | To be (in bed), lying down |
Tú hermanito está acostado en el sofá.
Your little brother is lying down on the sofa.
| Ácrata | Anarchist |
| Acreditativo | Supporting |
| Acrílico | Acrylic |
| Acrobático | Acrobatic |
| Activo | Active, lively, energetic |
| Acuático | Aquatic |
| Acuífero | Aquiferous |
| Acumulativo | Cumulative |
| Acusado | Accused |
| Acusatorio | Accusatory |
| Acústico | Accustic |
| Adaptable | Adaptable, versatile |
| Adecuado | Appropriate, relevante |
Ese vestido es el más adecuado para la boda.
That dress is the most appropriate for the wedding.
Estar en el momento y el lugar adecuado.
To be in the right place at the right time.
| Adhesivo | Adhesive |
| Adicional | Additional, extra |
| Adictivo | Addictive |
| Adicto | Addictive |
| Adiestrado | Trained |
| Adinerado | Wealthy, well-off |
| Adjunto | Attached |
| Admirable | Admirable |
| Admirativo | Admiring |
| Admisible | Admissible |
| Adoctrinamiento | Indoctrination |
| Adolescente | Adolescent |
| Adoptado | Adopted |
Related: Spanish Words that Start With the Letter H
| Adorable | Adorable |
| Adulador | Flattering, fawning |
| Adúltero | Adulterous |
| Adulto | Adult |
| Adverso | Adverse |
| Aeronáutico | Aeronautical |
| Aeronaval | Aeronaval |
| Aficionado | Keen, enthusiastic, lover |
Ella es una aficionada a la músic rock.
She is a lover of rock music.
| Afilado | Sharp |
| Afiliado | Affiliated |
| Afirmativo | Affirmative |
| Afligido | Grieving, heartbroken |
El muchacho está muy afligido porque le acaba de dejar su novia de tres años.
The boy is very heartbroken because his girlfriend of three years just broke up with him.
| Afortunado | Fortunate, lucky |
| Africano | African |
| Ágil | Agile, nimble |
| Agitado | Rough, agitated, upset |
El mar estaba tan agitado que el barco casi se hundió.
The ocean was so rough that the ship almost sank.
Yo no sé por qué estás tan agitado. Tendrás una segunda oportunidad.
I’m not sure why you are so upset. You will have a second chance.
| Agobiante | Oppressive |
| Agonizante | Dying |
| Agotado | Exhausted |
| Agradable | Pleasant |
| Agradecido | Thankful |
Estar + agradecido/a express being grateful for something.
Estoy agradecida por cada uno de ustedes que leen mi blog =)
I am grateful for each and everyone of you who read my blog.
Related: 40 Gratitude Quotes in Spanish
| Agradecido | Thankful |
| Agresivo | Aggressive |
| Agresor | Aggressor |
| Agrícola | Agricultural |
| Agridulce | bittersweet |
| Agrigando | Like a gringo, foreigner |
| Agrio | Sour, tart |
| Aguado | Watery, watered down |
| Agudo | Sharp |
| Ahogado | Drowned, suffocated |
| Ahorrador/ Ahorrativo | Thrifty |
| Ahumado | Smoky |
| Aislado | Isolated, cut off |
| Ajeno | Other people’s, foreign |
| Ajustado | Tight, tight-fitting |
| Alargado | Long, extended |
| Alarmante | Alarming |
| Alborotado | Agitated , excited |
| Alcohólico | Alcoholic |
| Aldeado | Village, rustic |
| Aleatorio | Random, contingent |
“Alexa, toca en forma aleatoria mis canciones favoritas.”
Alexa, shuffle my favorite songs.”
| Aleccionador | Instructive, englightening |
| Alegador | Argumentative |
| Alegórico | Allegorical |
| Alegre | Happy, cheerful |
Ella siempre es una persona alegre. Pasa todo el día sonriendo.
She is always a happy person. She smiles the whole day.
| Alentador | Encouraging |
| Alérigico | Allergic |
| Alerta | Alert |
| Aletargado | Drowsy, lethargic |
| Alfabético | Alphabetic |
Related: 23 Spanish Children’s Picture Books To Learn the Alphabet
| Alegador | Argumentative |
| Alguno | Some, any |
| Aliado | Allied |
| Alimenticio | Nourishing, Nutritive |
| Alineado | Aligned |
| Allegado | Near, close |
| Almendrado | Almond-shaped |
| Almibarado | Sugary, Syrupy |
| Almidonado | Starched, stiff |
| Alocado | Crazy, mad |
| Alpestre | Alpine |
| Altanero | Hausty, arrogant |
| Alterado | Upset |
| Alternativo | Alternating |
| Alto | Tall, high |
| Altruista | Altruistic |
| Alucinado | Amazed |
| Alucinante | Hallucinatory |
| Alusivo | Allusive |
| Alzado | Raised |
| Amable | Kind |
Es muy importante siempre ser amable con la gente.
It is very important to always be kind with people.
| Amado | Beloved |
| Amanerado | Mannered |
| Amante | Lover, fond |
| Amargado | Embittered |
| Amargo | Bitter |
| Ambicioso | Ambitious |
| Ambiguo | Ambiguous |
| Ambivalente | Ambivalent |
| Amenazante | Threatening |
| Amigable | Friendly |
| Amistoso | Friendly |
| Amorfo | Shapeless |
| Amortizable | Redeemable |
| Amotinado | Riotous |
| Amplio | Spacious |
| Anacrónico | Anachronic |
| Analfabeto | Illiterate |
| Analítico | Analytic |
| Analógico | Analogical |
| Anaranjado | Orange |
Related: Naranja vs Anaranjado: What’s the Difference?
| Anárquico | Anarchist |
| Ancestral | Ancestral |
| Anciano | Old |
| Andariego | Fond of traveling |
| Andarín | Walker |
| Anexo | Attached |
| Anfibio | Amphibious |
| Angelical | Angelical |
| Angular | Angular |
| Angustiado | Distressed, anguished |
| Animado | Excited, good spirits |
Él no está muy animado últimamente., ¿A ver qué le pasa?
He hasn’t been in good spirits lately. I wonder what’s going on.
| Animoso | Spirited, lively. |
| Anónimo | Anonymous |
| Anoréxico | Anorexic |
| Ansioso | Anxious |
Related: Emotions and Feelings Flashcards in Spanish for Kids
| Anterior | Front, previous, anterior |
| Anticipado | Early, advance |
| Antiguo | Old, vintage |
| Antipático | Unpleasant, disagreeable |
I recognize there are many more Spanish adjectives that start with A that could squeeze in alphabetically here due to all the anti prefixes.
| Añejo | Mature, old |
| Apabullante | Overwhelming |
| Apacible | Gentle, mild. |
| Apañado | Clever, handy |
| Aparatoso | Showy, ostentatious |
| Aparejado | To go hand in hand with |
| Aparente | Apparent |
| Apartado | Remote, isolated |
Nuestra casa está muy apartada de la ciudad.
Our house is a long way away from the city.
| Aparte | Separate |
| Apasionado | Passionate |
| Apasionante | Exciting, Thrilling |
| Apático | Apathetic |
| Apegado | Attached |
| Apenado | Sad, embarrassed |
| Aperturista | Liberal |
| Apesadumbrado | Sad, distressed |
| Apestoso | Stinky, reeking |
Related: 70+ Salvadoran Slang Words and Phrases You Need to Know!
| Apiñado | Crammed, packed |
| Aplanado | Leveled |
| Aplastante | Overwhelming, crushing |
| Aplicable | Applicable |
| Aplicado | Applied |
| Apocado | Shy, timid |
| Apreciable | Appreciable |
| Apreciado | Wrothy, esteemed |
| Apreciativo | Appreciative |
| Aprensivo | Apprehensive |
| Apresurado | Quick, Hasty |
| Apretado | Tight |
Esa camisa te queda muy apretada.
That shirt is too tight.
| Apropriado | Appropriate, suitable |
| Aprovechado | Well-spent, well-exploited, well-used |
| Aproximado | Approximate |
| Apto | Suitable, fit |
| Apurado | In a hurry, rush |
Siempre voy muy apurado de tiempo.
I am always in a rush.
| Aquel, Aquella | Those |
| Arbitrario | Arbitrary |
| Arcaico | Archaic |
| Ardiente | Burning, Ardent, Passionate |
| Ardoroso | Fervent, Ardent |
| Arduo | Arduous, Hard |
| Arenoso | Sandy |
| Árido | Arid, Dry |
| Aristócrata | Aristocrat |
| Armado | Armed |
| Armónico | Harmonic |
| Armonioso | Harmonious |
| Aromático | Aromatic |
| Arqueológico | Archaeological |
| Arquetípico | Archetypal |
| Arraigado | Deep-rooted |
| Arrastrado | Wretched, Miserable |
| Arreglado | Neat and tidy |
La mamá dejó bien arreglada la casa antes de que llegaran los visitantes.
The mom left the house very tidy before the visitors arrived.
| Arrepentido | Sorry, repentant |
La chica estaba muy arrepentida de haberle dicho una grosería a su amigo.
The girl was very regretful for having said a rude thing to her friend.
| Arrinconado | Forgotten, Neglected |
| Arrogante | Arrogant |
| Arrojado | Daring, Dashing |
| Arrugado | Wrinkled |
La ropa salió toda arrugada de la secadora.
The clothes came out of the dryer all wrinkled.
| Artesanal | Hand-crafted, traditional |
| Articulado | Articulated |
| Artificial | Artificial, Man-made |
| Artístico | Artistic |
| Asado | Roasted |
No falta la carne asada durante las celebraciones.
There is always carne asada at every celebration.
Related: Scrumptious Salvadoran Carne Asada Tacos
| Asalariado | Wage-earning |
| Ascendente | Ascending, Rising |
| Aseado | Clean, Neat, Tidy |
| Asegurado | Insured |
| Asentado | Settled |
| Asesino | Murderous |
| Asfixiante | Suffocating |
| Asiático | Asian |
| Asimétrico | Asymmetric |
| Asintómatico | Asymptomatic |
| Asmático | Asthmatic |
| Asociado | Associated |
| Asombroso | Amazing, Astonishing |
¿Qué asombroso fue el concierto? ¡Habían muchos bailarines!
How amazing was the concert? There were a lot of dancers!
Related: Learn Spanish Through Music with These Artists!
| Áspero | Rough, rugged |
| Aspirante | Aspiring |
| Asqueroso | Disgusting, Revolting |
| Astronómico | Astronomic |
| Astuto | Clever, Astute |
| Asustadizo | Easily frightened |
| Atemporal | Timeless |
| Atento | Attentive |
| Ateo | Atheistic |
| Aterciopelado | Velvety |
La Reina llevó un vestido aterciopelado a la fiesta.
The queen wore a velvet dress to the party.
| Aterrador | Terrifying |
| Atípico | Atypical |
| Atontado | Bewildered, stunned |
| Atractivo | Attractive |
| Atrasado | Late, behind time |
| Atrayente | Attractive |
| Atrevido | Daring, bold |
| Aturdido | Bewildered, dazed |
| Audaz | Bold, audacious |
| Audible | Audible |
| Ausente | Absent |
| Austero | Austere |
| Auténtico | Authentic, Genuine |
I recognize there are many more Spanish adjectives that start with A that could squeeze in alphabetically here due to all the auto prefixes.
| Autorizado | Authorized |
| Avaricioso | Avaricious |
| Avaro | Miserly, Mean |
| Aventurado | Risky, Hazardous |
| Aventurero | Adventurous |
| Avergonzado | Embarrassed |
| Averiado | Broken down |
| Avispado | Sharp, Bright |
| Azaroso | Risky, Hazardous |
| Azorado | Embarrassed, Flustered |
| Azucarado | Sugary, sweet |
| Azulado | Blue |
| Azulón | Deep blue |
Related: Color Flashcards in Spanish for Kids
If you made it this far, thank you for sticking around. I hope you found a lot of fun adjectives in Spanish that start with the letter A. Stay tuned for more similar posts coming your way!
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Additional Spanish Language Resources:
- 12 Tips to Become Fluent in Spanish (Outside of the Classroom)
- Letter A Printable Activities in Spanish for kids
- A list of 200+ Spanish Words That Start With H
- A List of 250 + Spanish Words That Start With O
- A List of 300 + Spanish Words That Start With the Letter V
- 70+ Salvadoran Slang Words and Phrases You Need to Know!
