demasiado (-a, -os, -as)

[Nicolena007]

Hello! Would anyone be able to tell me when "demasiado" must agree? Always? with nouns and adjectives?
Ellas son demasiadas buenas?
Hay demasiadas chicas?
but not with verbs,
Ellas miran la tele demasiado.
Sound right?
Thanks!

 

[Peaso]

I don't know the norm, but they would be:

"Ellas son demasiado buenas"
"Hay demasiadas chicas?" (ok)
"Ellas miran la tele demasiado" (ok, but better "ellas miran demasiado la tele"

 

[Nicolena007]

hmm, so not with adjectives? I knew something was different. Can others confirm? Thanks!

 

[Peaso]

Yes, it's that: we use "demasiado" only with adjectives.

If you use the term with an adjective, the phrase sense changes:

"Ellas son demasiadas buenas": the number of "good girls" is much greater than the "bad girls", versus "ellas son demasiado buenas", in which the average level of the girls is very high.

 

[Dr. Quizá]

It's used with nouns as well. The problem is when you confuse an adjective (too much/too many) and an adverb (too). Adjectives do change number and genre whilst adverbs don't.

Adjective: There are too many people - Hay demasiadas personas.
Adverb: These girls are too noisy - Estas tías son demasiado ruidosas.

 

[mancunienne girl]

Do you therefore say "Estoy demasiado ocupada" if you are a female?

 

[juanitacalamita]

Yes, because "demasiado" modifies an adjective, so it is an adverb and does not change gender and number.

 

[babosa daltónica]

Just to clarify this: "demasiado" (fixed, no change) is used with adjectives. "Ella es demasiado hermosa para salir con ese hombre."

Conversely, "demasiado/os/a/as" (CAN change) is used with nouns. "Tengo demasiados plátanos en mi nevera; tengo que comerlos antes de que se echen a perder ."

So you may have "demasiado" be used with adjectives or nouns but it can only be modified with nouns.