Breakdown of Este animal peludo es un mamífero nocturno.
ser
to be
un
a, an (masculine)
el animal
the animal
este
this
el mamífero
the mammal
peludo
furry
nocturno
nocturnal
Questions & Answers about Este animal peludo es un mamífero nocturno.
Could I change the word order to Este peludo animal es un nocturno mamífero?
You could say Este peludo animal, but you absolutely cannot say un nocturno mamífero. Peludo is a qualifying adjective (it describes a measurable quality), so it can occasionally go before the noun for subjective emphasis. Nocturno, however, is a relational adjective here (it classifies the mammal into a specific scientific category). A major syntactic constraint of relational adjectives is that they must always go after the noun they modify.
Can I add muy to make it un mamífero muy nocturno?
Grammatically, no. Because nocturno is acting as a relational adjective in this biological context, it classifies the noun rather than describing a gradable quality. A species is either nocturnal or it isn't, so it can't be "very nocturnal." In contrast, you could say Este animal es muy peludo because peludo is a qualifying adjective, which can be measured in degrees.
If nocturno can never take a degree modifier like muy, how would I say someone is a "night owl"?
When applied to humans as a personality trait, nocturno switches from being a strict relational adjective to a qualifying one. If you say Soy una persona muy nocturna (I am a very nocturnal person / a night owl), it is perfectly valid because it now describes a lifestyle habit rather than a rigid scientific classification, meaning it no longer follows the constraints of a relational adjective.
Is peludo related to the word for hair?
Yes, it comes from pelo (hair). In Spanish, pelo is used for the hair on a human body, but also for animal fur. Therefore, peludo translates to both "hairy" and "furry" depending on whether you are talking about a person or an animal.
Learn Este animal peludo es un mamífero nocturno and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free