What’s is the best thing about learning a new language? What is the most difficult? If you want to be able to discuss these things in Spanish, you will need to learn how to use the superlative form of Spanish adjectives. Let’s get started!
As you may have seen in our previous blog, we learned about making comparisons in Spanish when describing two nouns. Superlative adjectives are used when you are comparing three or more nouns (people, place, or a thing). The superlative describes the highest or lowest limit of a group. In English, these are the words that we usually add the suffix “-est” to. In Spanish, it is actually easier to form the superlatives than in English, you just need to know the pattern to follow.
There are two types of superlatives: relative and absolute
- Relative: I am the youngest person on the team.
- Absolute: I am very young.
The relative superlative is used when describing the noun within the context of some larger group:
- I am the youngest person on the team.
- He is the best cook in the group.
- My brother is the strongest in his class.
The absolute superlative is not used to describe the noun in the context of a larger group:
- I am very young.
- That stove is super expensive.
- That cake was irresistibly tasty.
In English, we form the relative superlative by using the word “most” or adding “-est”
- Daniel is the fastest runner in my class.
- He is the most handsome of them all.
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In Spanish, the relative superlative construction is similar to that of the comparative:
- definite article + noun + más/ menos + adjective + de
Take a look at the examples below:
| Spanish | English |
| Agustín es la persona más alta de la clase. | Agustín is the tallest person in the class. |
| El fútbol es el deporte más aburrido del mundo. | Soccer is the most boring sport in the world. |
| El pastor alemán es el perro más amable de todos. | The German Shepherd is the friendliest dog of them all. |
The absolute superlative for adjectives has three possible forms in Spanish:
- muy + adjective – muy inteligente
- sumamente + adjective – sumamente inteligente
- adjective + ísimo (-a, -os, -as) – inteligentísimo
| Spanish | English |
| El senador es muy serio. | The senator is very serious. |
| La situación es sumamente preocupante. | The situation is incredibly worrying |
| Este cable es larguísimo. | The cord is so long. |
Lastly, we must remember the irregular superlatives in Spanish. With these superlatives, we do not add the ending -isimo. Below are some examples:
Now that we have concluded our lessons on comparatives and superlatives, you have the necessary tools to enhance your descriptions in Spanish. These tools will add richness and depth to your stories and anecdotes when chatting with old friends or meeting someone for the first time. Go give it a try by telling a story to your nearest Spanish speaking friend!
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