One of the most flexible features of Spanish is that adjectives can be turned into nouns simply by placing an article in front of them. Instead of saying "the rich people" or "the small one," Spanish often just says los ricos or el pequeño. This process is called nominalization.
Basic Pattern
Put el, la, los, las (or another determiner) in front of the adjective, and it starts behaving like a noun.
| Construction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| el viejo | the old man |
| la joven | the young woman |
| los pobres | the poor (people) |
| las ricas | the rich (women) |
| los inteligentes | the intelligent ones |
Los ricos pagan más impuestos.
The rich pay more taxes.
El viejo me contó una historia.
The old man told me a story.
Spanish doesn't need a separate word for "people" or "ones" — the article and adjective together carry that meaning.
Referring to a Previously Mentioned Noun
You can also drop a noun after you've mentioned it, keeping only the article and the adjective. This avoids repetition.
Tengo dos camisas: la blanca y la azul.
I have two shirts: the white one and the blue one.
Prefiero los zapatos negros a los marrones.
I prefer the black shoes over the brown ones.
Notice how English needs "one" or "ones" here, but Spanish just uses the article + adjective.
¿Cuál prefieres, la grande o la pequeña?
Which one do you prefer, the big one or the small one?
Agreement with Context
The article and adjective still match the gender and number of the thing you have in mind, even when the noun isn't spoken.
Dame las rojas, por favor.
Give me the red ones, please.
If you're talking about flores (feminine plural), las rojas works. If you're talking about libros (masculine plural), you'd say los rojos. Context tells the listener which noun you mean.
The Neuter Article: lo + Adjective
For abstract ideas — "the important thing," "what's difficult," "the best part" — Spanish uses the neuter article lo with a masculine singular adjective.
| Lo + adjective | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lo importante | the important thing / what's important |
| lo difícil | the hard part / what's hard |
| lo bueno | the good thing / what's good |
| lo malo | the bad thing / what's bad |
| lo mejor | the best part |
| lo peor | the worst part |
Lo importante es intentarlo.
The important thing is to try.
Lo mejor de la fiesta fue la música.
The best part of the party was the music.
Lo difícil es empezar.
The hard part is getting started.
Note that lo is not "the" — it only exists in this abstract sense. It's different from el (the masculine article) and la (the feminine article).
See The Neuter Article Lo for more.
With Past Participles
Since past participles can work as adjectives, you can nominalize them too.
Los heridos fueron llevados al hospital.
The injured were taken to the hospital.
Le dieron un premio al elegido.
They gave the chosen one an award.
With Demonstratives and Possessives
You don't have to use a definite article — demonstratives and possessives can nominalize an adjective too.
Este rojo es más brillante que ese.
This red one is brighter than that one.
Mi nueva es más cómoda que la vieja.
My new one is more comfortable than the old one.
Contrasting Two Options
A very common pattern: use the same structure to contrast two things.
Los buenos ganan al final.
The good guys win in the end.
Entre los dos colores, elijo el más oscuro.
Between the two colors, I'll pick the darker one.
Quick Summary
| Structure | Use |
|---|---|
| el/la/los/las + adj | Specific person(s) / thing(s) |
| lo + adj (masc. sg.) | Abstract idea |
| este/ese/aquel + adj | "This/that one" contrast |
| mi/tu/su + adj | Possessed item referenced by trait |
Pulling It Together
Entre todos los vestidos, el rojo es el más bonito.
Among all the dresses, the red one is the prettiest.
Lo peor ya pasó.
The worst is over.
Related Topics
- The Neuter Article LoB1 — Lo + adjective forms abstract nouns meaning 'the X thing' or 'what is X'
- NominalizationB2 — Turning adjectives, verbs, and other words into nouns