【英文版西语语法】Superlative Adjectives in Spanish

  Quick Answer

Superlative adjectives indicate the maximum degree of an adjective, usually described as the most or the least of something.

Overview

 

There are three common ways to use adjectives to compare and contrast nouns in Spanish: comparisons of equality, comparisons of inequality, and the superlative.

 

Forming Superlative Adjectives

 

To form the superlative in Spanish, you will use a formula very similar to that of comparisons, with the important addition of the definite article.

 

Regular Superlative Formulas

most: definite article (el, la, los, las) + más + adjective

 

least: definite article (el, la, los, las) + menos + adjective

Mi madre es la más inteligente de la familia.

My mother is the most intelligent one in the family.

 

Mi hermano es el menos responsable de la familia.

My brother is the least responsible one in the family.

 

For adjectives that have single word comparisons, such as mejor  (best) and peor  (worst) you do not use más or menos.

 

Irregular Superlative Formula

definite article (el, la, los, las) + superlative adjective

Mi padre es el mayor de sus hermanos.

My father is the oldest of his brothers.

 

Esta película es la mejor de todas.

This movie is the best of all of them.

 

Irregular Superlatives

 

Adjective Superlative Form English

viejo

mayor

 

oldest

grande

mayor

 

biggest/largest

joven

menor

 

youngest

pequeño

menor

 

smallest

bueno

mejor

 

best

mal

peor

 

worst

-Ísimo Adjectives

 

You can also add -ísimo  to an adjective (and even some adverbs) to talk about an extreme degree of something. This handy suffix can translate to very, really, extremely, super, quite, among few others.

 

¡Esa comida es buenísima!

This food is the best!

 

Estoy encantadísimo.

I am extremely delighted.

 

Las chicas allí son bellísimas.

Those girls over there are really beautiful.

 

Los abogados están ocupadísimos.

The lawyers are super busy.

 

¡Llegaste tardísimo!

You arrived super late!

 

Caminas despacísimo.

You walk extremely slowly.

 

Lists to the Rescue!

 

Below you will find a list of useful -ísimo adjectives.

 

Adjective English -ísimo Adjective English

cómico

 

funny

comiquísimo

 

really hilarious

blanco

 

white

blanquísimo

 

very white

fresco

 

fresh

fresquísimo

 

super fresh

largo

 

long

larguísimo

 

very long

amargo

 

bitter

amarguísimo

 

really bitter

antiguo

 

old

antiquísimo

 

very old

agradable

 

nice

agradabilísimo

 

super nice

feliz

 

happy

felicísimo

 

extremely happy

caliente

 

hot

calentísimo

 

really hot

Adjectives that end in -ble tend to change to -bil- when used with -ísimo.

Adjective -ísimo Adjective English

agradable

 

agradabilísimo

 

really nice

amable

 

amabilísimo

 

really nice

notable

 

notabilísimo

 

really outstanding

miserable

 

misirabilísimo

 

really miserable

Many qualitative adjectives that have an r in the final syllable do not always take the -ísimo ending, but instead take the -érrimo ending.

Adjective -ísimo Adjective English

acre

 

acérrimo

 

extremely bitter

célebre

 

celebérrimo

 

extremely famous

libre

 

libérrima

 

extremely free

mísero

 

misérrimo

 

extremely wretched

salubre

 

salubérrima

 

extremely healthy

When an adjective ends in -n, -dor, or -or, -ísimo usually changes to -císimo.

Adjective -ísimo Adjective English

inferior

 

inferiorcísimo

 

quite inferior

hablador

 

habladorcísimo

 

very talkative

joven

 

jovencísimo

 

very young