Adjective (Adjectiu)

Adjectives of two forms

These are adjectives with distinct forms for masculine and feminine. The masculine normally ends consonant, with a few cases of unstressed (-a, -e, -i, -o, -u) or stressed (-à, è, -í, -ó, -ú) vowel endings, and the feminine is normally derived from masculine by adding -a, or changing -o to -a, cf.:
 

	Masculine	Feminine	Meaning
	fondo	fonda	deep
	maco	maca	nice
	baix	baixa	low
	sec	seca	dry
	petit	petita	little
	vell	vella	old
	verd	verda	green
	trist	trista	sad

 
The adjectives in -eu form their feminines in -ea, cf.:

• europeu European : europea, but jueu Jewish : jueva.

• pobre poor : pobra
• correcte correct : correcta

• nacional national, regular regular (but clar : clara clear, rar : rara rare, sonor : sonora sonorous);
• difícil difficult;
• elegant smart, elegant (there are some exceptions notably those adjectives ending in -lent like calent : calenta hot);
• semita Semite, hortera vulgar;
• lliure free, jove young (but pobre : pobra poor, correcte : correcta correct);
• veloç quick, feliç happy;
• gran big etc.

The plural of the adjectives is formed in the same way as that of the nouns: the suffix -s is added (-os if the singular form ends in -s, -x or ç) and the feminines change their final -a to -e, cf.:
 

	M a s c u l i n e		F e m i n i n e
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
	vell	vells	vella	velles
	verd	verds	verda	verdes
	petit	petits	petita	petites
	català	catalans	catalana	catalanes
	comú	comuns	comuna	comunnes
	sec	secs	seca	seques
	cec	cecs	cega	cegues
	gras	grassos	grassa	grasses
	llis	llisos	llisa	llises
	baix	baixos	baixa	baixes
	lleig	lleigs / lletjos	lletja	lletges
	boig	boigs / bojos	boja	boges
	fondo	fondos	fonda	fondes
	maco	macos	maca	maques
	oblic	obliqua	oblics	obliqües
	europeu	europeus	europea	europees
	nou	nous	nova	noves
	blau	blaus	blava	blaves
	trist	trists / tristos	trista	tristes

 
Note that the masculine adjectives with stressed last vowel restore the nasal sound in plural: català : catalans, comú : comuns etc.

There occur also orthographical changes (e.g. ig =>tj => tge ; ig => j => ge ; qua => qües ; ca => ques...). However, note that in the case of -ig endings, there are two equally correct forms for the plural. This is also true of words ending in -st, -xt or -sc.

Some adjectives in voiceless consonant restore the voiced one (e.g. t => d , c => g; final -s remains single -s- even between vowels), while other adjectives retain the voiceless consonant in all the forms (the final -s becomes -ss- between vowels).

Most of the adjectives of one form in singular, have also one form in plural, cf:
 

	Singular	Plural
	difícil	difícils
	elegant	elegants
	gran	grans
	lliure	lliures
	jove	joves
	regular	regulars

 
The adjectives ending in -ç have the masc. plural in -ços and the fem. plural in -ces, cf.:

• veloç (sg.) : veloços (m.pl.), veloces (f.pl.);
• feliç (sg.) : feliços (m.pl.), felices (f.pl.).

• pobre (m.sg.), pobra (f.sg.) : pobres (m.f.pl.);
• correcte (m.sg.), correcta (f.sg.) : correctes (m.f.pl.).

The adjective bo good takes the masculine singular bon when used before the noun, cf.:

• aquest alumne és bo this schoolboy is good

un bon alumne a good schoolboy

• un mal alumne a bad schoolboy

unes males persones some bad people
• un alumne dolent a schoolboy [who is] bad

unes persones dolentes some people [who are] bad

Comparative degree is formed analitically. Note that adjective agreement is with the principal noun:
 

Comparative Degree	Formation	Examples
of Superiority	més + ADJ. + que	En Joan és més alt que en Marc.  John is taller than Mark.
of Equality	[tan] + ADJ. + com	En Joan és [tan] alt com en Marc.  John Sandro is as tall as Mark.
of Inferiority	menys + ADJ. + que	En Joan és menys alt que en Marc.  John is less tall than Mark.

 
 
Superlative degree (Grau Superlatiu)
 

Superlative Degree	Formation	Examples
Absolute synthethical  (rarely used)	ADJ. + -íssim	La muntanya és altíssima.	The mountain is very high.
Absolute analytical (two varieties)	molt + ADJ.	La muntanya és molt alta.	The mountain is very high.
	força + ADJ.	La muntanya és força alta.	The mountain is very high.
Relative	Det. + més+ ADJ. + de	Es el més alt de tots.	He's the tallest of all.

 
 
Irregular degrees (Graus irregulars)
 
Six adjectives have irregular synthetical comparative forms, inherited from Latin. Each of these has in turn a synthetical superlative form. However, these are rather literary forms, and are seldom used in everyday speach:
 

	Adjective	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
	bon / bo	millor	òptim
	mal / dolent	pitjor	pèssim
	gran	major	màxim
	petit	menor	mínim
	alt	superior	suprem
	baix	inferior	ínfim

 
 

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