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Intensificadores
In Spanish, there are a number of adverbs as well as a single suffix that can be used to intensify the meaning of other words.
Note: Intensifiers are not the same thing as comparatives, superlatives, or augmentatives (see below).
Adverbial Intensifiers
Adverbs like muy (very), mucho (much, a lot), and sumamente (extremely) are intensifiers that can modify adjectives, nouns, verbs, and other adverbs.
Por ejemplo…
| Es muy bonita. | She is very pretty. | |
| Tenemos mucho dinero. | We have a lot of money. |
Learn more: Mucho vs muy
-ísimo Intensifier
The suffix –ísimo is an intensifier that can be attached to the end of many adjectives. It agrees with the adjective in gender and number:
| -ísimo | -ísimos | |
| -ísima | -ísimas |
If the adjective that –ísimo attaches to ends in a vowel, the vowel is dropped. There may also be spelling changes due to hard/soft vowels.
Por ejemplo…
| La tarea es facilísima. | The homework is really easy. | |
| Ana es bellísima. | Ana is absolutely beautiful. | |
| Son riquísimos. | They are super rich. |
Intensifiers vs Augumentatives
Whereas augmentatives add a particular meaning to the word they modify (such as size or greatness), intensifiers only intensify the meaning of the modified word itself.
Intensifiers vs Comparatives
Comparatives compare one person or thing to another. Intensifiers do not. The adjective modified by an intensifier is "very ___" all by itself.
Intensifiers vs Superlatives
The superlative is the most/least something of a group. This is sometimes called the "relative superlative," while intensifiers, particularly the suffix –ísimo, are sometimes called the "absolute superlative." However, this is a misnomer, because intensifiers are not comparing anything – again, they’re just saying that something is "very ___."
Related lessons
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