exclamativa

Exclamativa is a linguistic term that describes the part of speech or clause type used to express strong emotion, astonishment, or emphasis. In grammar, it can denote either the exclamatory mood found in some languages or the set of exclamative clauses that convey such force. Exclamatives are typically distinguished by distinctive syntax, intonation, or particles, and are often marked orthographically with an exclamation mark in languages that use punctuation.

In Spanish, oraciones exclamativas express feelings with constructions such as qué + [adjective/noun] or cuánto + [adjective/adverb] + sustantivo, as in ¡Qué bonito es este lugar! or ¡Qué sorpresa! These clauses rely on emphasis structures and on exclamatory punctuation.

In English, exclamatives commonly take forms with What or How in exclamative clauses, such as What a day it has been! or How beautiful this is. They may also be standalone interjections like Amazing! Exclamatives often rely on intonation rather than a dedicated verb form in English.

Cross-linguistically, the exclamative category is varied: some languages have a dedicated exclamative mood with specific morphology or particles, while others mark exclamativity mainly through word order, punctuation, or intonation. The study of exclamatives intersects syntax, phonology, and discourse analysis, illustrating how languages encode the speaker’s affect and stance.