In English, when we want to emphasize an adjective, we add a separate word like 'very,' 'really,' or 'extremely.' We say, 'The food is very good.' Spanish speakers often do this differently. Instead of adding a word, they change the adjective itself by adding a special ending: -ísimo. Think of -ísimo as a built-in amplifier for your adjectives. It takes a word like 'caro' (expensive) and transforms it into 'carísimo' (extremely expensive). It’s a simple, elegant way to add intensity and emotion to your descriptions, and it's something you'll hear constantly in everyday conversation. Learning to use this 'absolute superlative' is a key step in moving beyond basic descriptions. After reading this guide, you'll be able to emphasize your opinions and descriptions naturally, making your Spanish sound much more authentic and expressive.
| Rule Type | How to Form the Superlative | Example (Adjective → Superlative) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Rule (ends in consonant) | Add -ísimo, -ísima, -ísimos, or -ísimas. | fácil → facilísimo (very easy) |
| Basic Rule (ends in vowel) | Drop the final vowel (-o, -a, -e), then add the ending. | caro → carísimo (very expensive) |
| Gender & Number Agreement | The ending must match the noun it describes. | la casa barata → la casa baratísima |
| Plural Agreement | The plural ending must also match. | los coches caros → los coches carísimos |
| Spelling Change: -co / -ca | Change 'c' to 'qu' to keep the hard 'k' sound. | rico → riquísimo (very delicious/rich) |
| Spelling Change: -go / -ga | Change 'g' to 'gu' to keep the hard 'g' sound. | largo → larguísimo (very long) |
| Spelling Change: -z | Change 'z' to 'c'. | feliz → felicísimo (very happy) |
| Regional Note | In Latin America, some irregulars like 'bueno' become 'buenísimo'. In Spain, 'bonísimo' is also possible but less common in speech. | bueno → buenísimo (very good) |
Rule 1: Think of -ísimo as a substitute for 'muy' (very). It attaches directly to the adjective to make it stronger.
Rule 2: Always match the ending to the noun's gender and number (-o, -a, -os, -as). This is the most important rule for all Spanish adjectives.
Rule 3: If the adjective ends in a vowel, drop it first. This keeps the word flowing smoothly (e.g., 'caro' becomes 'car-ísimo').
Rule 4: Never use 'muy' with an -ísimo adjective. Saying 'muy carísimo' is redundant, like saying 'very extremely expensive'.
Rule 5: Watch for spelling changes with c, g, and z. The goal is to preserve the original sound of the adjective's last letter.
Rule 6: Not every adjective can take an -ísimo ending. It's most common with adjectives describing quality, size, and opinion.
The soup is hot, but the coffee is very hot.
The house isn't big, it's huge [extremely big].
We bought some red and very sweet apples.
The trip to the mountain was super long, but the views were gorgeous.
What a delicious dessert! It's absolutely delicious.
My grandparents are old, but they are extremely happy.
The math problems were incredibly difficult.
La película es muy buenísima. — La película es buenísima. — The -ísima ending already means 'very' or 'extremely'. Adding 'muy' is redundant and sounds unnatural.
Las playas de México son hermosísimo. — Las playas de México son hermosísimas. — The adjective must agree with the noun. 'Playas' is feminine and plural, so the adjective must be 'hermosísimas'.
Este pastel está ricísimo. — Este pastel está riquísimo. — This happens because of English interference. To keep the hard 'k' sound of 'rico' before the letter 'i', you must change the 'c' to 'qu'.
El hotel es caroisimo. — El hotel es carísimo. — For adjectives that end in a vowel like -o or -a, you must drop that vowel before adding the -ísimo ending.
Q1.Change the adjective to the absolute superlative: El libro es interesante. → El libro es __________.
interesantísimo
The adjective 'interesante' ends in a vowel, so you drop the '-e' and add '-ísimo' to match the masculine, singular noun 'libro'.
Q2.Choose the correct form: Las lecciones son (facilísimo / facilísimas).
facilísimas
The noun 'lecciones' is feminine and plural, so the adjective must also be feminine and plural.
Q3.Change the adjective to the absolute superlative: La comida está rica. → La comida está __________.
riquísima
To preserve the hard 'k' sound, 'c' changes to 'qu'. To match the feminine noun 'comida', the ending is '-ísima'.
Q4.Correct the sentence: El perro es muy pequeñísimo.
El perro es pequeñísimo.
The suffix -ísimo already means 'very', so you should not use 'muy' with it.
Q5.Change the adjective to the absolute superlative: Los días de verano son largos. → Los días de verano son __________.
larguísimos
To preserve the hard 'g' sound, 'g' changes to 'gu'. To match the masculine, plural noun 'días', the ending is '-ísimos'.
Q6.Change the adjective to the absolute superlative: Mi hermana está feliz. → Mi hermana está __________.
felicísima
The adjective 'feliz' ends in 'z', which changes to 'c'. The ending must be '-ísima' to match the feminine noun 'hermana'.