nueva
/nweh-bah/
new
Illustrating 'new' (brand-new or recently acquired object).
nueva(Adjective)
📝 In Action
Compré una falda nueva para la fiesta.
A1I bought a new skirt for the party.
Esta es mi nueva dirección de correo electrónico.
A2This is my new email address.
La empresa tiene una nueva estrategia de marketing.
B1The company has a new marketing strategy.
💡 Grammar Points
Matching the Noun It Describes
In Spanish, describing words (adjectives) change to match the thing they describe. 'Nueva' ends in '-a', so you use it for feminine things. For masculine things, you'll use its partner, 'nuevo'. For example: una casa nueva (a new house), but un coche nuevo (a new car).
Where You Place It Changes the Meaning!
This is a cool trick in Spanish. Putting 'nueva' before a noun often means 'new to me' or 'different' (e.g., mi nueva amiga - my new friend). Putting it after the noun usually means 'brand-new' (e.g., mi computadora nueva - my brand-new computer).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting to Match
Mistake: "Tengo un problema nueva."
Correction: Tengo un problema nuevo. Even though 'problema' ends in '-a', it's a masculine word. So the describing word needs to be masculine too: 'nuevo'.
Representing 'news' or fresh information arriving.
📝 In Action
El mensajero nos trajo la buena nueva de su llegada.
B2The messenger brought us the good news of his arrival.
¿Qué nuevas me tienes?
B2What news do you have for me?
⭐ Usage Tips
Use 'Noticia' for Everyday News
While 'las nuevas' means 'the news', you'll almost always hear and use 'las noticias' in daily life. Think of 'las nuevas' as a slightly more formal or traditional way to say it, often used for personal updates.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: nueva
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence best translates to 'She is my new-to-me colleague' (meaning you just started working with her)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'mi nueva casa' and 'mi casa nueva'?
Great question! It's a subtle but important difference. 'Mi nueva casa' usually means 'my new-to-me house'—the one I just moved into, even if the building is old. 'Mi casa nueva' strongly implies a 'brand-new house' that was just built. The position of the adjective changes the meaning!
Why does 'nueva' end with an '-a'?
'Nueva' ends with '-a' because it's the feminine form. In Spanish, many describing words change their endings to 'match' the gender of the noun they are describing. So you use 'nueva' for feminine nouns (like 'casa' or 'idea') and 'nuevo' for masculine nouns (like 'coche' or 'libro').