Spanish · B1 · Everyday language
Small Things Matter in Spanish
This guide focuses on describing everyday items that help children at school, specifically practicing how to use plural nouns with adjectives without a preceding article.
What you'll learn
- Identify common school supplies and objects
- Apply plural adjective agreement to nouns without articles
- Describe the utility of objects in a school context
Spanish phrases for small things matter
Lápices afilados son útiles para tus deberes.
Sharp pencils are useful for your homework.
Note that 'lápices' is the plural of 'lápiz'.
Manzanas frescas saben bien a la hora del almuerzo.
Fresh apples taste good at lunchtime.
Adjectives like 'frescas' must match the feminine plural noun 'manzanas'.
Reglas claras hacen los juegos más justos.
Clear rules make games fairer.
'Claras' describes 'reglas' (rules).
Palabras largas pueden ser difíciles al principio.
Long words can be difficult at first.
'Largas' follows the noun 'palabras' to modify it.
Necesitamos calcetines limpios para tu club de deportes.
We need clean socks for your sports club.
'Limpios' agrees with the masculine plural noun 'calcetines'.
Prepararé sándwiches pequeños para tu excursión.
I'll pack small sandwiches for your trip.
'Pequeños' describes the size of the sandwiches.
Puedes pedir prestados libros emocionantes de la biblioteca.
You can borrow exciting books from the library.
'Emocionantes' is an adjective that ends in -es for the plural.
Elijamos pegatinas coloridas para tu tabla de lectura.
Let's choose colourful stickers for your reading chart.
'Coloridas' emphasizes the plural nature of the stickers.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
afilados
sharp
Used for pencils or tools.
deberes
homework
Commonly used in Spain; 'tarea' is more common in Latin America.
pegatinas
stickers
Also known as 'calcomanías' in some regions.
excursión
trip / outing
Refers to a short journey or school trip.
Plural Adjective Agreement without Articles
In Spanish, even when we don't use an article (like 'the' or 'some'), the adjective must still agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Most adjectives follow the noun.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Plural (-os) | Noun (m. pl.) + Adjective ending in -os | Calcetines limpios (Clean socks) |
| Feminine Plural (-as) | Noun (f. pl.) + Adjective ending in -as | Manzanas frescas (Fresh apples) |
| Neutral Plural (-es) | Noun (pl.) + Adjective ending in -e/-es | Libros emocionantes (Exciting books) |
More examples
Necesito tijeras nuevas.
I need new scissors.
Even without 'las', 'nuevas' must be feminine plural.
Zapatos cómodos son importantes.
Comfortable shoes are important.
Focuses on the quality of shoes in general.