In this lesson, we’re going to look at Spanish diminutives and augmentatives. These suffixes can be added to nouns, adjectives, and adverbs and usually indicate smaller and larger size, respectively. However, they can have additional meanings depending on the context and choice of word.

 

Diminutives

The Spanish diminutive usually indicates small size or affection but can also be used for emphasis. When spoken with the proper intonation, the diminutive can also indicate disgust. The correct form of the diminutive varies depending on the base word.

 

For words ending o or a, drop the final vowel and add –ito or –ita:

 

Word	Meaning	Diminutive	Meaning
ahora	now	ahorita	right now
corto	short	cortito	very short

 

When a word ends in –co, change the c to qu then add –ito:

 

Word	Meaning	Diminutive	Meaning
blanco	white	blanquito	right now
poco	little	poquito	little bit

 

With words ending in –go, change the g to gu and add –ito:

 

Word	Meaning	Diminutive	Meaning
amigo	friend	amiguito	small friend
lago	lake	laguito	small lake

 

Add –cito words ending in –n, –r, –e, or –è:

 

Word	Meaning	Diminutive	Meaning
cafè	coffee	cafecito	espresso
grande	big	grandecito	big and cute
hombre	man	hombrecito	a small man
mujer	woman	mujercita	a small woman

 

Augmentatives

The augmentative usually indicates large size but can also signal dislike. While most augmentatives are masculine words ending in –òn, you should use ­–ona when referring specifically to females. To form the augmentative of a word, drop the final vowel and add the ending. If a noun ends in a consonant, simply add the ending.

 

 

Word	Meaning	Augmentative	Meaning
el hombre	man	el hombròn	big man
la cuchara	spoon	el cucharòn	ladle
el soltero	bachelor	el solteròn	confirmed bachelor
la soltera	single woman	la solterona	spinster, old maid
la mujer	woman	la mujerona	big woman (pejorative)