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4.4: El superlativo y el superlativo absoluto

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    Superlatives and Absolute Superlatives

    Superlatives

    Superlatives compare one versus all or the most and the least. Use the following constructions with superlatives:

    Article + más + adjective + de + group being compared to. (Article and adjective must agree with the gender and number of the subject of the sentence.)

    Article + menos + adjective + de + group being compared to. (Article and adjective must agree with the gender and number of the subject of the sentence.)

    • El más inteligente de la clase. (The most intelligent in the class. This example refers to a male student because it uses the article "el".)
    • María es la más bonita de su familia. (María is the most beautiful in her family. Use "la" since María is a female.)
    • Juan y José son los más cómicos de su familia. (Juan and José are the most funny in their family. Use "los" to refer to Juan and José.)
    • María y Mariela son las más bonitas de su clase. (María and Mariela are the most beautiful in their class. Use "las" to refer to María and Mariela.)

    Absolute Superlative

    Absolute Superlative (in Spanish, "superlativo absoluto") is used with adjectives to express someone or something is extremely [+ adjective].

    How to Form Absolute Superlatives

    • Drop the last vowel of the adjective and add the ending “-ísimo", "-ísima", "-ísimos", "-ísimas" (depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes).
    • If the adjective ends in the consonant “L”, just add “-ísimo”, "-ísima", "-ísimos", "-ísimas" to the adjective.
    • If the adjective ends in the consonants “n” or “r”, add “-císimo", “-císima", “-císimos", “-císimas" to the adjective.
    • If the original adjective has an accent mark, it must be transferred to the first "-í-" of "-ísimo".

    Note that all superlative endings and spell changes are indicated in bold.

    Examples of Absolute Superlatives
    English Spanish
    • large

    My cell phone is extremely large.

    My purse is extremely large.
    • grande

    Mi celular es grandísimo.

    Mi bolsa es grandísima.
    • intelligent

    We are extremely intelligent.

    • nice

    My friends are extremely nice.

    • long

    My dress is extremely long.
    • inteligente

    Somos inteligentísimos.

    • simpático ("c" changes to "qu") (same for rico, rica, poco, poca)

    Mis amigas son simpatiquísimas.

    • largo ("g" changes to "gu")

    Mi vestido es larguísimo.
    • difficult

    These classes are extremely difficult.
    • difícil

    Estas clases son dificilísimas.
    • hard-working

    Mis parents are extremely hard-working

    • young

    Your parents are extremely young.
    • trabajador

    Mis padres son trabajadorcísimos.

    • joven

    Tus padres son jovencísimos.

    This page titled 4.4: El superlativo y el superlativo absoluto is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sara Jacome-Thompson, Evergreen Valley College (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative) .