Apposition in Spanish: what it is and how to use it

By Marta Díaz on Thursday, May 29, 2025

Do you know what an apposition in Spanish is? Surely you have seen this grammatical syntagm at some point, but you didn't know it was called this way. Don't worry, because with this Enforex’s article you’ll learn what an apposition in Spanish is, when and how to use it, and what types of apposition exist in Spanish.

Don't miss it and keep reading this article to practice your Spanish. Come test your Spanish level and discover Spain with Enforex while you continue learning and practicing the language!

What is an apposition in Spanish?

An apposition or appositive is a grammatical device that consists of a word or group of words that are placed next to a noun to explain, specify or describe it better. Therefore, an apposition in Spanish is a unit that clarifies or expands the meaning of the noun it accompanies.

This structure adds additional or precise information about a previously mentioned noun. The Spanish apposition can be essential or simply provide extra detail. In addition, it usually agrees in gender and number with the noun it accompanies.

Thus, the apposition is a nominal syntagm that is placed next to another noun and complements it. For example, in the sentence, “Mi hermano, el médico, trabaja en Madrid” (My brother, the doctor, works in Madrid), the doctor is an apposition that explains who my brother is.

When to use the apposition?

The apposition is used in several scenarios. Here are some of them:

• Clarifying who someone is or what something is
• Adding descriptive or explanatory information without using an additional sentence
• To identify or specify the noun more precisely
• To avoid unnecessary repetition in speech

For this reason, apposition is used both in formal writing and in everyday language, as well as being common in informative, narrative and academic texts.

Types of appositions in Spanish

There are two main types of apposition:

• Explanatory apposition: adds non-essential information between commas. This Spanish apposition can be eliminated without the sentence losing its basic meaning. For example: “Pedro, mi primo, vendrá mañana” (Pedro, my cousin, will come tomorrow).
• Specifying apposition: adds essential information, without commas. It does not take commas because it is an integral part of the meaning. In this case, it cannot be eliminated because information is lost in the sentence. For example: El escritor Cervantes es muy conocido (The writer Cervantes is very well known).

What is an apposition for?

The main function of a Spanish apposition is to give more information, avoid repetitions and clarify identities or functions. However, it can also serve to organize the discourse with precision.

Appositions can be formed by nominal syntagms and these nuclei can be proper or common nouns. For example:

• Proper noun: “La escritora Alice Kellen escribe muchas novelas románticas” an>(The writer Alice Kellen writes many romance novels)an>
• Common noun: “Mi prima, una excelente dentista, trabaja en su propia clínica desde hace dos años” (My cousin, an excellent dentist, has been working in her own practice for two years)

Examples of sentences with apposition

Here are some sentences with the two types of apposition that exist in Spanish. Can you guess which type of apposition is in each sentence? We'll leave you the answers below!

• El poeta Neruda escribió muchos versos sobre el amor (The poet Neruda wrote many verses about love)
• Pedro, el mejor alumno del curso, recibió una beca (Pedro, the best student in the class, received a scholarship)
• Mi abuela, una mujer muy sabia, me enseñó a leer (My grandmother, a very wise woman, taught me to read)
• La ciudad de Sevilla alberga monumentos históricos (The city of Seville is home to historical monuments)
• La escritora Isabel Allende ha publicado muchas novelas (The writer Isabel Allende has published many novels)
• El científico Albert Einstein desarrolló la teoría de la relatividad (The scientist Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity)
• Juan, mi vecino, se mudó a otra ciudad (Juan, my neighbor, moved to another city)
• El coche, un modelo híbrido, consume muy poco combustible (The car, a hybrid model, consumes very little fuel)
• El filósofo griego Aristóteles fue discípulo de Platón (The Greek philosopher Aristotle was a disciple of Plato)
• Mi gato, Kiwi, es muy travieso (My dog, Kiwi, is very naughty)

Answers: explanatory, specific, explanatory, explanatory, explanatory, specific, specific, specific, specific, explanatory, explanatory, explanatory, specific.

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