Breakdown of Muchos mamíferos herbívoros no son muy agresivos.
ser
to be
no
no, not
mucho
many / a lot
muy
very
agresivo
aggressive
el mamífero
mammal
herbívoro
herbivorous
Questions & Answers about Muchos mamíferos herbívoros no son muy agresivos.
Why does herbívoros have to come immediately after mamíferos?
Herbívoros is a relational adjective, meaning it categorizes the noun into a specific scientific or descriptive class (plant-eaters) rather than just offering an opinion or varying trait. A strict rule in Spanish is that relational adjectives must be placed right after the noun they modify. They cannot go before the noun.
The sentence says muy agresivos. Could we also say muy herbívoros?
No, you cannot. Agresivos is a qualifying adjective, which describes a trait that can vary in intensity, so it can be modified by degree adverbs like muy or poco. Herbívoros, being a relational adjective, defines an absolute category. Because an animal either belongs to that biological category or it doesn't, it cannot be graded with words like muy.
If I wanted to say "Many aggressive herbivorous mammals", what would the word order be?
It would be Muchos mamíferos herbívoros agresivos. Because relational adjectives like herbívoros essentially create a compound noun concept with the word they modify, they must stick closest to the noun. Any qualifying adjectives, like agresivos, are pushed to the outside of that grouping.
Why use son instead of están with agresivos in this context?
We use son (from ser) because the sentence describes the general, inherent nature of these species as a whole. If you used están, it would mean a specific group of mammals is acting aggressively right now in a temporary situation, rather than stating a biological or behavioral fact about their species.
Learn Muchos mamíferos herbívoros no son muy agresivos 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