Spanish Superlatives: Using '-ísimo' for Intensity
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Add '-ísimo' to the end of an adjective to mean 'very' or 'extremely' without using the word 'muy'.
- Drop the final vowel (if there is one): 'alto' becomes 'alt-'.
- Add the suffix: 'alt-' + 'ísimo' = 'altísimo'.
- Match gender and number: 'altísima' (f), 'altísimos' (m.pl), 'altísimas' (f.pl).
Overview
The suffix -ísimo in Spanish functions as an absolute superlative, indicating an extreme degree of a quality without explicit comparison. While English typically uses adverbs like "very," "extremely," or "incredibly" to intensify adjectives, Spanish integrates this intensity directly into the word itself through a morphological change. This grammatical construction is fundamental for expressing strong subjective feelings or objective realities that surpass a simple descriptive level.
It allows speakers to convey that something is not merely good (bueno) but exceptionally good (buenísimo), or not just long (largo) but exceedingly long (larguísimo). The -ísimo form agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, acting precisely like a standard adjective. Its widespread use across all Spanish-speaking regions underscores its importance for nuanced and expressive communication at an A2 CEFR level and beyond.
From a linguistic perspective, the development of -ísimo traces back to the Latin suffix -issimus, which served a similar function of intensifying adjectives. This historical lineage explains its deep integration into the Spanish language and its prevalence over analytical constructions like muy + adjective in many contexts where emotional weight or strong emphasis is desired. Mastering -ísimo enables learners to express a significantly broader range of sentiment and detail, moving beyond basic descriptions to more impactful and native-sounding statements.
It's an indispensable tool for adding rhetorical force and vividness to your Spanish vocabulary, marking a key step in developing communicative fluency.
How This Grammar Works
el más alto (the tallest), which compare one item against a group. An absolute superlative formed with -ísimo declares a quality as maximally present in a singular entity, independent of any comparison.La ciudad es grandísima conveys that the city is immensely large, not that it is the largest among other cities. This grammatical mechanism is a form of morphological intensification, where the word's structure itself signifies emphasis, offering a more integrated and often more emphatic alternative to analytical constructions like muy + adjective.-ísima, -ísimos, -ísimas) must always agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. This adherence to adjectival agreement is a cornerstone of Spanish grammar, ensuring syntactic coherence. If you are describing a feminine singular noun like la casa, the superlative will be grandísima.los árboles, it becomes altísimos. This consistent agreement is crucial for proper usage, as incorrect agreement can lead to awkward or confusing phrasing.bonito (pretty) | Example with clara (clear) |-ísimo | bonitísimo | clarísimo |-ísima | bonitísima | clarísima |-ísimos | bonitísimos | clarísimos |-ísimas | bonitísimas | clarísimas |El examen fue fácil. (The exam was easy.) While grammatically correct, it lacks intensity. By transforming fácil into its absolute superlative form, facilísimo, you communicate a much higher degree of ease: El examen fue facilísimo. (The exam was extremely easy.) This change transforms a simple observation into a powerful statement of subjective experience. Similarly, Su voz es dulce. (Her voice is sweet.) is a basic description, but Su voz es dulcísima. (Her voice is incredibly sweet.) conveys a profound appreciation for the quality, implying an almost unparalleled sweetness.í in -ísimo is not merely an orthographic detail; it dictates the stress of the word, ensuring correct pronunciation and maintaining the rhythmic flow of Spanish. Its presence is non-negotiable for grammatical accuracy, distinguishing it from words that might coincidentally end in -isimo but carry a different stress pattern. This consistent stress on the antepenultimate syllable is a key characteristic of these absolute superlatives, reinforcing their emphatic nature.Formation Pattern
-o, -a, -e, the process is simple: remove the final vowel and add the appropriate -ísimo suffix. Remember that this suffix must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The accent mark on the first í is mandatory, signifying the stress. If the adjective ends in a consonant, simply add the suffix directly, like difícil -> dificilísimo.
rápido | fast | rápid- | rapidísimo | El coche es rapidísimo. |
lento | slow | lent- | lentísimo | El servicio fue lentísimo. |
clara | clear | clar- | clarísima | La explicación fue clarísima. |
grande | big/large | grand- | grandísimo | El edificio es grandísimo. |
difícil | difficult | difícil- | dificilísimo | La tarea era dificilísima. |
c changes to qu before í:
c and precedes the í of the suffix. The qu combination ensures the hard /k/ sound is maintained. If it remained c, it would soften to /s/ or /θ/ depending on regional pronunciation.
rico | rich/tasty | *ricísimo | riquísimo | La cena estaba riquísima. |
blanco | white | *blancísimo | blanquísimo | El azúcar es blanquísimo. |
fresco | fresh/cool | *frescísimo | fresquísimo | El agua estaba fresquísima. |
g changes to gu before í:
c to qu, this change preserves the hard /g/ sound. Without u, the g would become soft, akin to the h sound in English "house" (in some Spanish accents) or a j sound.
largo | long | *largísimo | larguísimo | El viaje fue larguísimo. |
amargo | bitter | *amargísimo | amarguísimo | El café era amarguísimo. |
z changes to c before í:
luz -> luces). The z becomes c when followed by i or e.
feliz | happy | *felizísimo | felicísimo | Mi hijo está felicísimo con su regalo. |\
capaz | capable | *capazísimo | capacísimo | Es un hombre capacísimo. |
-io, -ia, -eo, -ea, or similar diphthongs/hiatus structures, the common practice is to drop the final vowel(s) before adding the suffix. The goal is often to simplify pronunciation and avoid an excessive number of vowels. For instance, sucio (dirty) becomes sucísimo, and amplio (ample/wide) transforms into amplísimo. While sucísimo and amplísimo are the most common and accepted forms, some grammarians might acknowledge sucionísimo or amplionísimo as theoretical, albeit less elegant, possibilities. However, for practical and natural usage, stick to the reduced forms.
sucio | dirty | suc- | sucísimo | El cuarto estaba sucísimo. |\
amplio | ample/wide | ampl- | amplísimo | La sala es amplísima. |
-ísimo is widely applicable, some adjectives have traditionally irregular absolute superlative forms derived from Latin roots. These often appear as single words and carry a more formal or literary tone. For CEFR A2 learners, while -ísimo forms are the primary focus, recognizing some of these as alternatives is beneficial for comprehension. More importantly, it highlights why -ísimo is generally NOT applied to already existing comparative or superlative forms.
bueno (good) -> óptimo (optimal/best). Colloquially, buenísimo is very common and accepted, particularly in informal contexts. Buenísimo is the most common form you'll hear and use for
Agreement of -ísimo
| Gender/Number | Suffix | Example (alto) |
|---|---|---|
|
Masculine Singular
|
-ísimo
|
altísimo
|
|
Feminine Singular
|
-ísima
|
altísima
|
|
Masculine Plural
|
-ísimos
|
altísimos
|
|
Feminine Plural
|
-ísimas
|
altísimas
|
Meanings
The absolute superlative is used to express an extreme degree of a quality without comparing it to anything else.
Extreme intensity
Indicates a very high level of the adjective's quality.
“Es carísimo.”
“La casa es grandísima.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Adj(no vowel) + ísimo
|
Es guapísimo.
|
|
Feminine
|
Adj(no vowel) + ísima
|
Ella es guapísima.
|
|
Plural
|
Adj(no vowel) + ísimos
|
Ellos son guapísimos.
|
|
Consonant ending
|
Adj + ísimo
|
Es dificilísimo.
|
|
Spelling change
|
Adj(c -> qu) + ísimo
|
Es riquísimo.
|
|
Spelling change
|
Adj(g -> gu) + ísimo
|
Es larguísimo.
|
Formality Spectrum
La comida es excelente. (Dining)
La comida es muy buena. (Dining)
La comida está buenísima. (Dining)
¡La comida está de muerte! (Dining)
The -ísimo Suffix Map
Step 1
- Drop Vowel Remove last a, e, o
Step 2
- Add -ísimo Attach suffix
Step 3
- Agree Match gender/number
Examples by Level
La pizza es buenísima.
The pizza is very good.
El coche es carísimo.
The car is very expensive.
Ella es altísima.
She is very tall.
El examen es facilísimo.
The exam is very easy.
Estamos contentísimos con el resultado.
We are very happy with the result.
La ciudad es bellísima.
The city is very beautiful.
Es un problema dificilísimo.
It is a very difficult problem.
La casa es grandísima.
The house is very big.
La situación es complicadísima.
The situation is very complicated.
Fue una experiencia interesantísima.
It was a very interesting experience.
El libro es larguísimo.
The book is very long.
La oferta es bajísima.
The offer is very low.
La tecnología es importantísima hoy en día.
Technology is very important nowadays.
El ambiente estaba calientísimo.
The atmosphere was very hot.
Es una propuesta valiosísima.
It is a very valuable proposal.
La respuesta fue rapidísima.
The response was very fast.
Su contribución ha sido fundamentalísima.
His contribution has been very fundamental.
La precisión es exactísima.
The precision is very exact.
Es una obra famosísima.
It is a very famous work.
La actitud fue amabilísima.
The attitude was very kind.
La complejidad es altísima.
The complexity is very high.
Es una cuestión antiquísima.
It is a very ancient issue.
La dedicación es totalísima.
The dedication is very total.
La claridad es cristalinísima.
The clarity is very crystal clear.
Easily Confused
Learners often use both together.
Mixing up 'el más' and '-ísimo'.
Forgetting to drop the vowel.
Common Mistakes
altoísimo
altísimo
La casa es grandísimo
La casa es grandísima
muy buenísimo
buenísimo
ricoísimo
riquísimo
felizísimo
felicísimo
fácilísimo
facilísimo
largoísimo
larguísimo
perfectísimo
perfecto
enormísimo
enorme
infinitísimo
infinito
muy extremadamente alto
altísimo
altísimo de todos
el más alto
muy altísimo
altísimo
buenisimo (no accent)
buenísimo
Sentence Patterns
La ___ es ___.
El ___ está ___.
Es una experiencia ___.
La situación es ___.
Real World Usage
¡Qué guapísima estás!
El examen fue facilísimo.
La comida estaba riquísima.
El hotel es bellísimo.
Es un proyecto importantísimo.
Tu trabajo es buenísimo.
Drop the vowel
No 'muy'
Spelling changes
Be expressive
Smart Tips
Use -ísimo instead of 'muy'.
Ensure the suffix ends in -ísima.
Change 'c' to 'qu'.
Change 'g' to 'gu'.
Pronunciation
Stress
The stress always falls on the 'í' in -ísimo.
Emphasis
¡Es buení-simo! ↗
Rising intonation on the suffix adds excitement.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'ísimo' as 'I see more'—you see more of the quality because it's so intense!
Visual Association
Imagine a tiny person standing next to a giant, and the giant is labeled 'Grand-ísimo'.
Rhyme
Drop the vowel, add the sound, -ísimo makes the meaning profound.
Story
Juan ate a pizza. It was good. He added more cheese. It became better. He added all the cheese in the world. It became 'buenísima'. Now he is full and happy.
Word Web
Challenge
Pick 5 adjectives in your room and turn them into -ísimo forms in your head.
Cultural Notes
Used frequently in everyday speech to express enthusiasm.
Very common in social interactions.
Often used to emphasize quality.
Derived from the Latin superlative suffix '-issimus'.
Conversation Starters
¿Qué te parece la comida de este restaurante?
¿Cómo estuvo tu examen de español?
¿Qué opinas de esta película?
¿Cómo describirías la situación actual en tu trabajo?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
La casa es ____ (grande).
El examen es ____.
Find and fix the mistake:
muy buenísimo
Es muy rico.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Ellos están ____.
La película es ____ (larga).
Find and fix the mistake:
altoísimo
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesLa casa es ____ (grande).
El examen es ____.
Find and fix the mistake:
muy buenísimo
Es muy rico.
Largo -> ?
Ellos están ____.
La película es ____ (larga).
Find and fix the mistake:
altoísimo
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesEl viaje en autobús fue {____}.
The house is incredibly big.
están / Las / sucias / calles / sucísimas
Estamos felizísimos con la noticia.
Match the pairs:
Esas joyas son...
El juego de ayer fue {____}.
He is extremely kind.
La película es muy interesantísima.
calentísima / está / La / sopa
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, it is redundant. Use one or the other.
Most do, but some extreme ones like 'perfecto' do not.
Just add -ísimo directly.
It is used in both, but very common in informal speech.
If the sound changes (like c to s), you need a change (c to qu).
Yes, it must agree with the noun.
Yes, it is universal.
Yes, but it is less common.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
-issime
Spanish uses it more frequently in daily speech.
-st
German superlatives are often relative.
Totemo / -sugiru
Spanish is morphological, Japanese is adverbial/verbal.
Jiddan
Arabic does not use suffixes for this.
Hen / Fei chang
Chinese does not have morphological suffixes for intensity.
Very / Extremely
English is analytic, Spanish is synthetic.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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