When we describe things, we like to give detailed information about what we think from our perspective. Adjectives are words that, together with a noun, help us express the qualities and features of something. In grammar, these are responsible for modifying nouns to provide more information about them.
Adjectives can be divided into several types but, in this article, we will explain a little about quantitative adjectives. These adjectives are words that will help you express quantities imprecisely or laxly.
The word “bastante” is part of the quantitative adjectives. And, sometimes we also use it as an adverb. For example, “hemos hablado bastante” = (we’ve talked enough). Today, we will teach you how to use “bastante” in several different situations.
How to use “bastante”
“Bastante” is a word commonly used in Spanish to indicate the size or quantity of something. If you are a native English speaker, you probably know it as “quite” or “pretty”. Depending on the context, English speakers may also use “bastante” as “a lot”, “a lot of”, and “enough”.
Since we can use “bastante” as an adverbial, adjective, or just with nouns, we can place it in different ways. “Bastante” changes depending on the noun we use. For singular nouns or irregular nouns like “agua” we will use “bastante”. Yet, with plural nouns, we would use “bastantes”.
Here are some examples to give you a clearer idea.
Anoche, me dormí tarde viendo una película y ahora tengo bastante sueño.
Last night, I fell asleep late watching a movie and I’m quite sleepy now.
El edificio donde vive Claudia tiene bastantes pisos.
The building where Claudia lives has quite a few floors.
Invitemos bastante gente a tu fiesta de cumpleaños.
Let’s invite enough people to your birthday party.
La semana que viene nos volveremos a ver después de bastante tiempo.
Next week we will see each other again after a long time.
How to use “bastante” as an adverbial
Surely you already know what an adverb is, but let’s refresh our minds just a bit before starting to explain how to use “bastante” as an adverb. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverbs that can indicate time, manner, quantity, etc.
“Bastante” is a quantitative adverb. For that reason, we generally use it to describe quantities or sizes. When we use “bastante” as an adverb, we must place it after the main verb.
Let’s see a few examples.
Por fin pude dormir bastante después de tanto tiempo, realmente lo necesitaba.
I finally got enough sleep after so long, I needed it.
Ella se preocupa bastante por sus hijos.
She cares a lot about her children.
Mi perro se emociona bastante al jugar con su pelota.
My dog gets quite excited when playing with his ball.
Trabajaste bastante el fin de semana.
You worked a lot over the weekend.
How to use “bastante” with an adjective
Using “bastante” with adjectives isn’t much trouble. As we previously mentioned, it’s a word that helps us talk about quantities and, therefore, we use it to describe some characteristics like the size of something. In this context, we often place it between the main verb and an adjective.
Let’s look at the examples below.
Estamos bastante cansados luego de ir a trotar hoy.
We are quite tired after going jogging today.
La casa es bastante espaciosa.
The house is pretty/quite spacious.
Tu hermano es bastante alto.
Your brother is quite tall.
That’s “bastante”!
In summary, “bastante” is a versatile word that we can use as an adverb, adjective, or indefinite pronoun. When using “bastante” as an adverb, we must place it after the main verb. If we use “bastante” together with an adjective, it should be between the main verb and the adjective.
In all cases, we use it to emphasize physical features or describe any other feature regarding quantity, degree, or size. On the other hand, using “bastante” as an indefinite pronoun will help us express the quantity or proportions of “something” that, in most cases, is a noun.