The position of Adjectives

As a Spanish student you have probably always heard your Spanish instructor say that the adjective must always go after the noun, the opposite of what it would be in English. For example: The red car = El carro rojo. This correct, but don't get too comfortable always putting adjectives as the end of nouns.

The example that I showed above was an example of a descriptive adjective and those will always follow the noun. They must also always agree in gender and in form, like all nouns. Yet there are times when the adjective will go before noun. Here are some examples:

-Adjectives that express a quality or fact that is pretty much generally know about the modified noun, will be placed in front of this noun.
La bella ciudad de Paris
El maravilloso volcan de Nicaragua

-Possessive, demonstrative, indefinite adjectives as well as cardinal numbers will be placed before the noun.
Mis dos perros
Este reloj es de mi abuelo
Voy al octavo piso

- When you use the adjective mejor and peor, they will also be placed in front of the noun.
Es mi mejor amigo
Es el peor restaurante de la ciudad

-At times adjectives will be purposely put in front of the noun to give it emphasis in a poetic fashion.
Esta lindo el mar.
La hermosa mujer.

There are also a few adjectives that can change meaning depending if you put them in front of the noun or after, I'll list the most common:

grande
un hombre grande (big)
un gran hombre (great)

pobre
el señor pobre (poor, not rich)
el pobre señor (poor, unfortunate)

único
el hombre único (unique)
el único hombre (only)

viejo
un amigo viejo (old, elderly)
un viejo amigo (long-time)

mismo
la mujer misma (herself)
la misma mujer (same)