Question 1

Why does the meaning of viejo change depending on where it is placed?

Accepted Answer

When viejo comes before the noun, like in viejo conocido, it refers to duration or a subjective quality, meaning "longtime." When it comes after the noun, like in conocido viejo, it gives a literal, objective description, meaning the person is old in age or elderly.

Question 2

Is conocido a noun or an adjective in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Here, it acts as a noun meaning "acquaintance." It comes from the past participle of conocer (to know). In Spanish, it is very common to turn adjectives or participles into nouns simply by putting an article like un or el in front of them.

Question 3

Why does the sentence use Aquel señor instead of Ese señor?

Accepted Answer

While both mean "that man," aquel indicates that the man is physically further away from both the speaker and the listener. If he were closer to the listener, or just a short distance away, you would use ese.

Question 4

If I wanted to talk about a friend instead of an acquaintance, would the same rule for viejo apply?

Accepted Answer

Yes! A viejo amigo is a friend you have known for a long time, while an amigo viejo is a friend who is elderly. The rule of placing viejo before the noun for "longtime" and after the noun for "elderly" applies to most nouns referring to people.

Aquel señor es un viejo conocido, pero no es un conocido viejo.

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