ísimo

ísimo is a productive Spanish suffix used to form adjectives or, less commonly, adverbs that mean “very,” “extremely,” or “super.” It derives from the Latin suffix -issimus and is employed across dialects of Spanish to add strong emphasis to a word, often in informal or expressive contexts.

Formation and agreement: The suffix is attached to the masculine singular form of the base adjective. The resulting word is then inflected for gender and number just like a normal adjective. For example, buenísimo (masc. sing.), buenísima (fem. sing.), grandísimos (masc. pl.), grandísimas (fem. pl.). Some common patterns include replacing the regular stem slightly to maintain natural pronunciation, such as bueno → buenísimo, malo → malísimo, grande → grandísimo, fácil → facilísimo, nuevo → nuevísimo, feliz → felicísimo, rico → riquísimo.

Orthographic and phonological notes: When the base ends in certain consonants, the spelling adjusts to preserve pronunciation, and accents may appear as part of the word’s stress pattern (for example, facilísimo retains the stress on the i). The prefixing of -ísimo can produce familiar or emphatic tones; it is often considered informal or emphatic rather than strictly formal.

Usage and nuance: -ísimo conveys a high degree and is frequently used in everyday speech, advertising, or humorous contexts; it can carry affectionate, ironic, or hyperbolic nuance. In formal writing, speakers may choose milder intensifiers (muy, extremadamente) or tone it down to avoid overstatement.

Examples: buenísimo, felicísimo, grandísimo, facilísimo, nuevísimo, malísimo, riquísimo, gigantesco líneas del lenguaje. The suffix is versatile but should be used with awareness of tone and register.