Spanish suffixes are endings added to root words to create new words, adjust grammatical roles, change meanings, or convey nuances such as ...
- Inflectional suffixes: Adjust verb forms for tense, mood, person, or number
- Derivational suffixes: Form new words by changing roots into nouns, adjectives, or other parts of speech
- Diminutive/superlative suffixes: Modify words to express small size, affection, or emphasis
- Gender and number suffixes: Mark nouns and adjectives for masculine/feminine and singular/plural forms
Inflectional suffixes (verb endings)
Inflectional suffixes attach to verb stems to express tense, mood, person, and number in Spanish conjugations. These are the standard endings for regular verbs in the -ar, -er, and -ir groups.
- -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an: Present tense endings for -ar verbs (e.g., hablo, hablas)
- -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en: Present tense endings for -er verbs (e.g., como, comes)
- -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en: Present tense endings for -ir verbs (e.g., vivo, vives)
- -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron: Preterite endings for -ar verbs (e.g., hablé, hablaste)
- -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron: Preterite endings for -er/-ir verbs (e.g., comí, viví)
- -aría, -arías, -aría, -aríamos, -aríais, -arían: Conditional endings for all verbs (e.g., hablaría)
| Spanish Suffix | English Function | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -o | “I” (1st person singular) | hablo | I speak |
| -as | “you” (2nd person singular) | hablas | you speak |
| -a | “he/she” (3rd person singular) | habla | ...speaks |
| -amos | “we” (1st person plural) | hablamos | we speak |
| -éis/-ís | “you all” (2nd person plural) | habláis / vivís | you all speak |
| -an | “they” (3rd person plural) | hablan | they speak |
| -é | past “I” (-ar preterite) | hablé | I spoke |
| -í | past “I” (-er/-ir preterite) | comí | I ate |
| -ía | conditional “I” | hablaría | I would speak |
Derivational suffixes (word formation)
Derivational suffixes create new words from existing roots by changing their part of speech or adding specific meaning. They are key to building Spanish vocabulary.
- -ción: Turns verbs into nouns indicating an action or result (hablar → hablación)
- -dad: Forms abstract nouns, often equivalent to English “-ty” (ciudad, libertad)
- -ito/-ita: Diminutive suffix expressing small size or affection (perro → perrito)
- -ón/-ona: Indicates largeness or intensity, sometimes pejorative (casa → casón)
- -er/-or: Forms agent nouns meaning “one who …” (trabajar → trabajador)
- -ble: Forms adjectives meaning “able to be …” (amar → amable)
| Spanish Suffix | English Function | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ción | noun from verb (action/result) | educación | education |
| -dad | abstract noun (quality/state) | libertad | freedom |
| -ito/-ita | diminutive (small/affectionate) | abuela → abuelita | grandma → little grandma |
| -ón/-ona | augmentative/intensifier | balón | big ball |
| -er/-or | agent noun (“one who …”) | profesor | teacher |
| -ble | adjective (“able to be ...”) | legible | readable |
Diminutive, augmentative, and superlative suffixes (word nuance)
These suffixes modify the meaning of nouns, adjectives, or even verbs to express small size, affection, largeness, or intensity. They convey emotional nuances beyond literal meaning.
- -ito/-ita: Small size or affection (gato → gatito)
- -illo/-illa: Regional variation of diminutive (perro → perrillo)
- -cito/-ecito: Diminutive formed after consonants or certain endings (pez → pececito)
- -ón/-ona: Large size or exaggeration (casa → casona)
- -ísimo/-ísima: Superlative meaning “very” or “extremely” (bueno → buenísimo)
| Spanish Suffix | English Function | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ito/-ita | small/affectionate | libro → librito | little book |
| -illo/-illa | small (regional) | niño → niñilla | little girl |
| -cito/-ecito | small (phonetic adjustment) | pez → pececito | little fish |
| -ón/-ona | large/intense | regalo → regalón | big gift |
| -ísimo/-ísima | superlative | fuerte → fortísimo | very strong |
very strong (superlative)
fortísimo
-ísimo is a superlative suffix that means “very” or “extremely.”
Gender and number suffixes (agreement)
Spanish nouns and adjectives use suffixes to mark gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). These endings are essential for grammatical agreement.
- -o / -a: Masculine / feminine singular (libro / libra)
- -os / -as: Masculine / feminine plural (libros / libras)
- -e: Often neutral or invariant for gender (estudiante)
- -es: Plural form for nouns/adjectives ending in consonants (papel → papeles)
| Spanish Suffix | English Function | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -o / -a | masculine / feminine singular | amigo / amiga | friend |
| -os / -as | masculine / feminine plural | amigos / amigas | friends |
| -e | singular (gender-neutral) | estudiante | student |
| -es | plural for consonant endings | papel → papeles | paper → papers |
In Spanish, how do you form the feminine singular of a noun that ends in -o?
Change the -o to -a (e.g., amigo → amiga).
Masculine nouns ending in -o change to -a for the feminine singular (amigo → amiga).
Summary
Spanish suffixes serve different roles:
- Inflectional suffixes express verb tense, mood, person, and number (e.g., hablar → hablo, hablaba)
- Derivational suffixes create new nouns, adjectives, or agents from roots (e.g., leer → lector, -ción, -dad)
- Diminutive/augmentative/superlative suffixes add nuance of size, affection, or intensity (e.g., gatito, casona, buenísimo)
- Gender/number suffixes mark agreement for nouns and adjectives (e.g., -o/-a, -os/-as, -es)
Understanding these suffix types helps you handle grammar, expand vocabulary, and appreciate the expressive power of Spanish word formation.
Flashcards (1 of 24)
- English Function: “I” (1st person singular)
- English Example: I speak
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
