Compound
adjectives
What’s a compound adjective
A compound adjective is an adjective that is made up of two or more words. These
words work together to describe a noun.
Compound adjectives are often hyphenated.
Examples
Adjective + Noun:
● Example: full-time (He has a full-time job.)
Noun + Past Participle:
● Example: home-made (We brought home-made cookies.)
Adverb + Past Participle:
● Example: well-known (She is a well-known author.)
Number + Noun:
● Example: five-star (We stayed at a five-star hotel.)
Common use
Time-related:
● two-year-old: "They have a two-year-old child."( We don’t use number form)
● full-time: "She is working a full-time job."
Descriptive:
● blue-eyed: "He is a blue-eyed man."
● cold-hearted: "She was accused of being cold-hearted."
Size and Measurement:
● three-story: "We live in a three-story building."
● six-foot-tall: "He is six-foot-tall."
HYPHENATION
Hyphenation Rules for Compound Adjectives
● Rule: Most compound adjectives are hyphenated when they appear before the noun they modify.
○ Example: This is a high-quality product.
● Exception: When a compound adjective appears after the noun, the hyphen is usually omitted.
○ Example: The product is high quality.
● Compound Adjective before Noun:
○ "She is a well-known singer."
○ "They made a last-minute change."
● Compound Adjective after Noun:
○ "The singer is well known."
○ "Their decision was last minute."
WHEN DO I USE HYPHEN?
If you can use the word “and” between the two adjectives or words, then a hyphen isn't
necessary.
● She has a big blue book.
(Big and Blue are adjectives)
Can we say: She has a big and blue book. (Yes, it is possible)
● He is a world famous singer. (Is this correct?)
Can we say: He is a world and famous singer. No, it doesn't sound correct so
we need a hyphen to join the words world and famous:
● He is a world-famous singer. (Correct)
While English speakers might occasionally skip the hyphen, its correct use is crucial to prevent
misunderstandings. Consider the difference in these sentences:
● He is a large truck driver. (This means the driver himself is large.)
● He is a large-truck driver. (This indicates he drives large trucks.)
Another example:
● He is an old book collector. (This implies the book collector is old.)
● He is an old-book collector. (This means he is a collector of old books.)
