⇒ Superlative adjectives are used to compare three or more nouns. They are often used to talk about the most or the least of something.
⇒ Adjectives are used to compare and contrast nouns in Spanish in comparisons of equality, comparisons of inequality, and in superlatives. These notes focus on superlatives.
⇒ To form superlative adjectives in Spanish, you will use a formula very similar to that used to form comparative adjectives, with the important addition of the definite article.
⇒ The formulas for forming regular superlative adjectives are found below.
| Regular Superlative FormulasMost formula: definite article (el, la, los, las) + más + adjectiveLeast formula: 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 comparative and superlative forms, such as mejor (best) and peor (worst), you do not use más or menos.
⇒ The formulas for forming irregular superlative adjectives are found below.
| Irregular Superlative Formuladefinite 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. |
⇒ Here are some examples of very common irregular superlative adjectives:
| Adjective | Superlative Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| viejo | mayor | oldest |
| grande | mayor | biggest/largest |
| joven | menor | youngest |
| pequeño | menor | smallest |
| bueno | mejor | best |
| mal | peor | worst |
⇒ You can also add -ísimo to an adjective (and even some adverbs) to talk about an extreme degree of something.
⇒ This handy suffix may be translated as very, really, extremely, super, and quite.
| ¡Esta comida es buenísima!This food is the best! |
| Las chicas allí son bellísimas.Those girls over there are really beautiful. |
⇒ 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 | really nice |
| feliz | happy | felicísimo | extremely happy |
| caliente | hot | calentísimo | really hot |
⇒ The suffix -ble tends to change to -bil when used with -ísimo.
| Adjective | -bilísimo Adjective | English |
|---|---|---|
| agradable | agradabilísimo | really nice |
| amable | amabilísimo | really nice |
| notable | notabilísimo | really outstanding |
| miserable | misirabilísimo | really miserable |
⇒ When an adjective ends in -n, -dor, or -or, -ísimo usually changes to -císimo.
| Adjective | -císimo Adjective | English |
|---|---|---|
| inferior | inferiorcísimo | quite inferior |
| hablador | habladorcísimo | very talkative |
| joven | jovencísimo | very young |
⇒ 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 | -érrimo Adjective | English |
|---|---|---|
| célebre | acérrimo | extremely famous |
| libre | libérrima | extremely free |
| salubre | salubérrima | extremely healthy |