-ísimo/a
Absolute Superlative
Add -ísimo/a to an adjective to make it much stronger. For example, 'grande' (big) becomes 'grandísimo' (very big).
How It Works
The absolute superlative is a way to add strong emphasis to an adjective without comparing it to anything else. Unlike the relative superlative (el más alto - the tallest), the absolute superlative just means 'extremely' or 'very'.
Formation Rules:
1. Basic Rule: Drop the final vowel from the adjective and add -ísimo (masculine singular), -ísima (feminine singular), -ísimos (masculine plural), or -ísimas (feminine plural).
• caro → carísimo (very expensive)
• alta → altísima (very tall)
2. Spelling Changes: Some adjectives change their spelling to maintain the original sound.
- Adjectives ending in -co change to -quísimo (rico → riquísimo)
- Adjectives ending in -go change to -guísimo (largo → larguísimo)
- Adjectives ending in -z change to -císimo (feliz → felicísimo)
Remember, this ending always acts like an adjective, so it must match the noun's gender and number.
Examples (5)
- La película es buenísima.
The movie is very good.
Word by Word: The movie is very-good-feminine.
- El café está calentísimo.
The coffee is extremely hot.
Word by Word: The coffee is extremely-hot-masculine.
- Compramos unas manzanas rojísimas.
We bought some very red apples.
Word by Word: We-bought some apples very-red-feminine-plural.
- ¡Qué día tan larguísimo!
What a very long day!
Note the spelling change: 'largo' becomes 'larguísimo' to keep the hard 'g' sound.
- El pastel está riquísimo.
The cake is delicious (very rich).
Note the spelling change: 'rico' becomes 'riquísimo' to keep the hard 'k' sound.
Common Mistakes
Not matching the gender and number of the noun.
La casa es grandísimo.La casa es grandísima.The '-ísimo/a' ending is an adjective suffix and must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Since 'casa' is feminine singular, the correct form is 'grandísima'.
Forgetting spelling changes with adjectives ending in -c, -g, or -z.
El pastel está ricísimo.El pastel está riquísimo.Adjectives ending in -c change to -qu before adding -ísimo to maintain the hard 'k' sound. Similarly, -g becomes -gu (largo → larguísimo) and -z becomes -c (feliz → felicísimo).
Related Patterns
- el/la más + AdjectiveSuperlatives
This is the 'relative' superlative, used to say something is 'the most' (e.g., 'the tallest'). It compares one thing to a group, while '-ísimo/a' is an 'absolute' superlative that simply intensifies an adjective without comparison.
Level 1 - Adjective Agreement
The '-ísimo/a' ending is a type of adjective suffix. Just like any other adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Foundations - ser + AdjectiveSer for Characteristics
The '-ísimo/a' superlative is frequently used with the verb 'ser' to describe an inherent quality of something in a very strong way (e.g., 'El libro es interesantísimo').
Level 1 - estar + AdjectiveEstar for Conditions
It is also commonly used with 'estar' to describe a very strong temporary state or condition (e.g., 'Estoy cansadísimo').
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice -ísimo/a in Bubblegum
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