Neuter (Neutru)

The neuter form of the adjectives (ending in -o) is used with uncountable nouns (usually of substance) when the adjectives follow the nouns, cf.:

• Ast. el neñu ye malu  Sp. el niño es malo,
• Ast. la mesa ye mala  Sp. la mesa es mala,
• Ast. el carbón ye malo  Sp. el carbón es malo.

The neuter agreement is used only in singular.
 
 
Uncountable nouns

These are nouns denoting substance, indefinite quantity or collective value, such as:
 

l'agua,  l'arena,  el carbón,  la carne,  el cristal,  la fariña,  la fruta,

la herba,  la llana,  la lleche,  la lleña, la madera,  el maiz, el pan,

el papel,  la ropa, la sidra, el trigu, el vinu, la xente etc...

 
 
Ambivalent nouns

A lot of nouns may be used both as countable and uncountable in dependence of the context, cf.:
 

Used as countable nouns	Used as uncountable nouns
La fueya seca (una fueya) the dry leaf Apúrrime una fueya seca. El café malu (a cup of coffee)	La fueya seco a totality of leaves, foliage Apúrrime la fueya seco (used as substance). El cafe malo (a type of coffee)

In a few cases the nouns, when used as uncountable, also take the ending -o, cf.:
 

Used as countable nouns	Used as uncountable nouns
Un fierru ferruñosu Un filu blancu Un pelu roxu	Fierro ferruñoso Filo blanco Pelo roxo

 
 
Usage of the neuter adjectives

Besides the occurrence at the uncountable nouns, the neuter forms of the adjectives are used in the following cases:

1. When the Subject of the sentence is an infinitive and the adjective is it Subject complement:

Correr ye bono.
Correr tolos díes ye bono.
2. In the agreement with the neuter demonstratives esto, eso and aquello:

Aquello foi mui prestoso.
3. In the agreement with the neuter indefintes daqué (= Sp. algo) and nada.

Equí hai daqué feo.
Equí nun hai nada feo.
4. In the agreement with the neuter interrogatives cuánto and cuálo:

¿Cúalo ye barato?
5. In the agreement of a sentence substantivized by que:

Que bebas ye malo.

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