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Questions & Answers about Mi medalla pequeña es bonita.
Why is pequeña placed after medalla rather than before it?
In Spanish the neutral or default position for descriptive adjectives is after the noun: noun + adjective. So medalla pequeña simply follows this usual word order.
Could I say mi pequeña medalla es bonita? Would the meaning change?
Yes, you can. Putting pequeña before medalla (mi pequeña medalla) still means “my small medal,” but it often adds a touch of affection or emphasis on its smallness. It’s more emotive than the neutral medalla pequeña.
Why do we use ser (es) and not estar (está) with bonita?
With adjectives that describe inherent or defining qualities—like beauty—you use ser. So you say es bonita to express that the medal is “pretty” as a characteristic. Estar would suggest a temporary condition or changeable state.
Why is mi used instead of an article (la) or another possessive form?
Spanish uses possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, etc.) directly before the noun without an article. Mi is invariable: it doesn’t change for gender or number. You never say la mi medalla, only mi medalla.
Why do pequeña and bonita end in -a? Could they end in -o?
Medalla is a feminine noun, so its adjectives must agree in gender and number. Feminine singular adjectives end in -a (pequeña, bonita). Masculine singular would be pequeño or bonito, but those don’t match medalla.
Why does pequeña contain an ñ instead of a regular n?
In Spanish ñ is a separate letter (not just an n with an accent). It represents a palatal nasal sound (like the “ny” in “canyon”). The tilde (~) is part of the letter itself, not an accent mark.
How would I say “it’s very pretty” using muy?
You place muy between the verb and the adjective:
es + muy + bonita → es muy bonita (“it’s very pretty”).
Can I list both adjectives separately, as in “my medal is small and pretty”?
Absolutely. You can coordinate them with y:
Mi medalla es pequeña y bonita.
This is perfectly correct and means the same as describing the two qualities in one phrase.