My Spanish is bad I remember briefly watching some youtube video where a mexican was singing a corrido in Spain and said something like "yo soy un simple soldado".
Why is the adjective in front of soldado? Should it be "soldado simple"?
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1Please capitalize languages in English and please fix your sentence. Also, look up the word in the Diccionario de la Real Academia (in other words, please do research before posting. Also, questions in English go like this: Why is the adjective in front of soldado. Should it be X?– LambieCommented Nov 19, 2023 at 18:56
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2@Lambie: no todo el mundo domina el inglés como Vd. Dele cuartelillo al OP– user35485Commented Nov 19, 2023 at 20:00
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@Ananias Creo que la persona sabe bastante inglés. Se ve por la pregunta completa que sabe bastante.– LambieCommented Nov 19, 2023 at 20:07
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@Lambie: Puede que tenga Vd toda la razón del mundo y parte de la del otro pero, in dubio, pro reo.– user35485Commented Nov 19, 2023 at 20:15
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4@Lambie Por qué no colaborás con el sitio y editás vos la pregunta en lugar de ponerte a criticar? No te parece más fácil? A lo sumo, además de editar, dejale un comentario y ya; tampoco es el fin del mundo porque no sepa escribir inglés– tacCommented Nov 19, 2023 at 22:00
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2 Answers
Spanish is a very flexible language. Though the normal use is "noun + adjective" we usually reverse the order. In the example you gave "yo soy un simple soldado" the adjective meaning is stressed by putting it first (I am just a soldier). If it were "Yo soy un soldado simple" the meaning would be slightly different (something like "I am a modest soldier").
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Está bien encarada la respuesta. Pero deberías completarla hablando acerca de la diferencia de los adjetivos relacionales y los adjetivos calificativos. Los primeros van sí o sí pospuestos y esto es lo que le va a traer problemas y confusiones al OP– tacCommented Nov 19, 2023 at 22:02
In Spanish, sometimes we place the adjective before the noun (antepuesto) or after it (pospuesto). Sometimes it can change the meaning completely:
Una pobre viuda (a poor widow, I pity her but she could be rich or poor) // Una viuda pobre (a poor widow, she's got no money)
In your example, it would be: Un simple soldado (he's just a soldier and nothing more. He's not a general) // Un soldado simple (he's a plain soldier, not a sophisticated, not elegant etc)
In general, but not always, an adjective after the noun gives an objective meaning, whereas an adjective before the noun is subjective and gives a subjective meaning:
Alta cuna (high-born) // Cuna alta (a crib that is visibly high or tall)
I hope this helps.
