Diminutivo
-ito / -ita
-itos / -itas
-itos / -itas
The Diminutive Suffix
smallness · affection · cuteness
🇪🇸 A2 Level
Superlativo absoluto
-ísimo / -ísima
-ísimos / -ísimas
-ísimos / -ísimas
The Absolute Superlative
extreme degree · very very · extremely
5 Interactive Exercises
Spanish has two powerful suffixes that supercharge your vocabulary! -ito/a attaches to nouns and adjectives to signal smallness, affection or endearment — it’s incredibly common in everyday speech. -ísimo/a attaches to adjectives to express extreme intensity — the equivalent of “extremely” or “very very”. Both suffixes agree in gender and number with the word they modify.
-ito / -ita
The Diminutive
Add to nouns or adjectives to express:
🐾 Small size — un gatito (a little cat)
💛 Affection / endearment — mamita!
😊 Softening a request — un momentito…
😏 Irony / humour — ¡Qué listillo! (clever-clogs!)
🐾 Small size — un gatito (a little cat)
💛 Affection / endearment — mamita!
😊 Softening a request — un momentito…
😏 Irony / humour — ¡Qué listillo! (clever-clogs!)
-ísimo / -ísima
The Absolute Superlative
Add to adjectives (and some adverbs) to mean extremely / very very:
🔥 cansadísimo — extremely tired
✨ buenísimo — absolutely delicious
🏃 rapidísimo — super fast
💰 carísimo — extremely expensive
🔥 cansadísimo — extremely tired
✨ buenísimo — absolutely delicious
🏃 rapidísimo — super fast
💰 carísimo — extremely expensive
📋 All the Forms — Gender & Number Agreement
-ito/a/os/as — Diminutivo
m. singular
-ito
gatito, perrito
f. singular
-ita
gatita, casita
m. plural
-itos
gatitos, niñitos
f. plural
-itas
gatitas, florecitas
💡 If the word ends in -o or -a, drop it first:
gato → gat + ito = gatito
casa → cas + ita = casita
gat
cas
-ísimo/a/os/as — Superlativo
m. singular
-ísimo
cansadísimo
f. singular
-ísima
cansadísima
m. plural
-ísimos
cansadísimos
f. plural
-ísimas
cansadísimas
💡 If the adjective ends in a vowel, drop it first:
cansado → cansad + ísimo = cansadísimo
rápido → rápid + ísimo = rapidísimo
cansad
rápid
✏️ Spelling Changes — Watch Out!
Some words need spelling adjustments to preserve the original sound when adding the suffix.
Diminutivo spelling changes
| poco | -co → -quito | poquito |
| amigo | -go → -guito | amiguito |
| chico | -co → -quito | chiquito |
| pedazo | -zo → -cito | pedacito |
| vez | -z → -cita | vecita |
| joven | consonant end | jovencito |
Superlativo spelling changes
| rico | -co → -quísimo | riquísimo |
| largo | -go → -guísimo | larguísimo |
| feliz | -z → -císimo | felicísimo |
| fácil | -il → -ilísimo | facilísimo |
| nuevo | -ue → ov + ísimo | novísimo |
| bueno | irregular | buenísimo / óptimo |
🎯 Diminutivo — When to Use
-ito/a uses
🐾 Small size
un perr-ito
a little dog / puppy
una cas-ita
a little house / cottage
un moment-ito
just a moment (tiny wait)
💛 Affection & endearment
abuel-ita
grandma (affectionate)
mamit-a
mummy / mom (sweet)
amor-cito
little love / sweetheart
🙏 Softening requests
¿Un favor-cito?
Could I ask a tiny favour?
Esper-ita un momento.
Just wait a teeny moment.
Dame un bes-ito.
Give me a little kiss.
🔥 Superlativo — When to Use
-ísimo/a uses
💪 Extreme quality
Estoy cansad-ísimo.
I am absolutely exhausted.
Es inteligent-ísima.
She is extremely intelligent.
El hotel es car-ísimo.
The hotel is extremely expensive.
😋 Food & sensory intensity
¡Está buenísimo!
It’s absolutely delicious!
El agua está fría-ísima.
The water is ice cold.
¡Qué riqu-ísimo!
How absolutely delicious!
🗣️ Everyday exclamations
¡Es dificilísimo!
It’s incredibly difficult!
¡Qué guap-ísimo!
He/she is absolutely gorgeous!
¡Llega tardísimo!
He’s arriving super late!
📊 The Intensity Scale — Seeing Both Together
pequeño
→
pequeñito
·
tiny / little (noun/adj modifier)
cansado
→
cansadísimo
·
extremely tired (adj intensifier)
bueno
→
buenito
·
nice / sweet (affectionate)
bueno
→
buenísimo
·
absolutely delicious / wonderful
tarde
→
tardísimo
·
super late (adverb → -ísimo)
⚠️ Key difference: -ito/a can attach to nouns AND adjectives to add smallness or affection. -ísimo/a attaches to adjectives (and some adverbs) to intensify degree. You cannot say *mesísima or *perroísimo!
⚡ Quick Reference
-ito/a — Diminutivo
drop -o/-a first
agree gender & number
nouns + adjectives
-co → -quito (poco→poquito)
-go → -guito (amigo→amiguito)
consonant end → add -cito
-ísimo/a — Superlativo absoluto
drop vowel ending first
agree gender & number
adjectives (+ some adverbs)
-co → -quísimo (rico→riquísimo)
-go → -guísimo (largo→larguísimo)
-z → -císimo (feliz→felicísimo)
✏️ ¡Practica!
1
Form the diminutivo (-ito/a/os/as) of each word.Watch out for spelling changes! (co→qu, go→gu, etc.)
a) gato →
b) casa →
c) poco →
d) amigo →
e) beso →
f) abuelo →
2
Form the superlativo absoluto (-ísimo/a) of each adjective. Agree with the subject given!a) cansado (m.sg) →
b) rico (m.sg) → 💡 spelling change!
c) grande (f.sg) →
d) feliz (m.pl) → 💡 spelling change!
e) fácil (f.sg) →
f) largo (m.sg) → 💡 spelling change!
3
Multiple choice.👉 “She is absolutely beautiful.” — Ella es _____.
👉 “Give me a little kiss.” — Dame un _____.
👉 “The food is absolutely delicious!” — ¡La comida está _____!
👉 Which is the correct diminutivo of “poco”?
👉 “I am extremely happy.” (f.) — Estoy _____.
4
Tap the words to build the sentence.Build: “El gatito está cansadísimo.”
cansadísimo.
El
está
gatito
Tap words above · click here to remove last
5
Translate into Spanish using -ito/a or -ísimo/a.a) “Give me just a moment!” (softening — use diminutivo of momento)
b) “This exercise is extremely easy.” (m.sg)
c) “My little grandma is very sweet.” (use diminutivo of abuela)
d) “The hotel is extremely expensive.” (m.sg — use superlativo of caro)