Forming the plural of -s ending nationality and place of origin adjectives

Inma Sánchez
2020-12-21
Add to Notebook9 questions

There are lots of adjectives that refer to nationalities and places of origin which end in -s.

They form their plurals this way:

add -es  (masculine plural) 
add -as  (feminine plural)
Take for example adjective francés (French)

Un hombre francés
A French man

Dos hombres franceses
Two French men

Dos mujeres francesas
Two French women

Notice how the plural does not have an accent.
Have a look and listen to these examples:

Mis vecinos son aragoneses.My neighbours are from Aragón.

Mis amigas son aragonesas.My girlfriends are from Aragón.

Andrew y Matthew son ingleses, de Bristol.Andrew and Matthew are English, from Bristol.

Estas chicas rubias son inglesas, de Londres.These blond girls are English, from London.

Muchos hombres irlandeses hablan gaélico.Many Irish men speak Gaelic.

Muchas mujeres irlandesas tienen ojos azules.Many Irish women have blue eyes.

In Spanish this type of adjectives are not capitalised.

Soy Español. 
Soy español.
I am Spanish.

Son Españoles.
Son españoles.
They are Spanish.

See also Forming the singular feminine of -s ending nationality and place of origin adjectives

Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »

Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

Examples and resources

Mis vecinos son aragoneses.My neighbours are from Aragón.
Muchas mujeres irlandesas tienen ojos azules.Many Irish women have blue eyes.
Mis amigas son aragonesas.My girlfriends are from Aragón.
Muchos hombres irlandeses hablan gaélico.Many Irish men speak Gaelic.
Estas chicas rubias son inglesas, de Londres.These blond girls are English, from London.
Andrew y Matthew son ingleses, de Bristol.Andrew and Matthew are English, from Bristol.
Getting that for you now...