Spanish Suffixes: Hack The Vocabulary You Already Know

The first thing to know about Spanish suffixes is that they belong to a unique category, since they are technically not words, as they cannot be used on their own.

If you read our post on Spanish prefixes, then you’ll be familiar with this concept.

Spanish suffixes must be added at the end of a base word, to which they grant different meanings. In most cases, adapting them to an alternate use, rather than completely changing the meaning.

In this post, we will split suffixes into three categories

1. Derivative
2. Flexive
3. Appreciative.

Let’s begin.

1) Derivative Suffixes

These are endings that are used to create a new word, derived from an already existing word.

For example, the word educación (education) is a base noun, but when we add the suffix -al, the result is the adjective educacional (educational), and so through this process of derivation, the word has been altered from its original meaning and turned from a noun into an adjective.

However, this concept isn’t limited to creating adjectives.

In fact, it can alter base words in a variety of ways, as we will see.

Noun-forming Spanish Suffixes

Below are Spanish suffixes which use a base verb, adjective, or even another noun to form a completely new noun with a different meaning.

Suffix	Base word	Derivative word	Translation
-orio	Dormir (To sleep)	Dormitorio	Bedroom
-ería	Tonto (Fool)	Tontería	Silliness
-ero	Pan (Bread)	Panadero	Baker

Adjective-forming Spanish Suffixes

The same idea, except this time using verbs, nouns or other adjectives to form a new adjective with a different meaning which may be similar to the original word.

Suffix	Base word	Derivative word	Translation
-ón	Chillar (Bawl)	Chillón	Gaudy
-ísimo	Rápido (Fast)	Rapidisimo	Superfast
-al	Centro (Center)	Central	Central

Verb-forming Spanish Suffixes

These suffixes are based on adjectives, nouns, adverbs or other verbs to form new verbs that can be used to describe a different action.

Suffix	Base word	Derivative word	Translation
-tar	Dormir (To sleep)	Dormitar	To doze
-ar	Sucio (Dirty)	Ensuciar	To mess up
-ar	Centro (Center)	Centrar	To center
-ar	Lejos (Far)	Alejar	To move away

2) Flexive suffixes

This is the most commonly used group of suffixes, but tends to be overlooked, since they don’t actually create new words or alter the grammatical category where the word is placed.

Instead, they are used to express number, gender, subject and time.

Gender Defining Suffixes

These suffixes define if a noun is masculine or feminine.

For example:

• Maestro (With the -o making it masculine)
• Amarilla (In this case, the -a makes it feminine)
• Nene (Because of the way this word is formed, -e is the suffix for the masculine in this case)
• Leóna (Again, with the -a being added to make it feminine)

Number Defining Suffixes

These suffixes change a noun’s quantity, defining whether it is singular or plural.

For example:

• Maestro (The -o indicates masculinity and singularity)
• Amarillas (The -s makes it plural)
• Leones (Following the pluralization rules with vowels, the -es makes it plural as well)

Conjugation Defining Suffixes

These suffixes modify and adapt a verb according to the subject performing it, the tense it takes place in, and/or the situation.

For example:

• Salta (With this exact suffix making it present, and performed by the singular third person)
• Saltábamos (Using the same root, this suffix conjugates it into the past, and performed by plural first person)
• Saltarías (No longer altering the tense, but the mood, the suffix makes it conditional and performed by the singular second person)

3) Appreciative suffixes

Lastly, this group focuses on qualities and attributes, both subjective and objective, and can be used with nouns, names, adjectives, and in some cases, with past participles.

The easiest way to become acquainted with these is simply by recognizing them and memorizing them by heart.

Diminutives

Spanish diminutives are normally used to reduce the size or importance of the original word, or else as a term of endearment.

Suffix	Base word	Derivative word	Translation
-cito, -cita	Lugar (Place)	Lugarcito	Little place
-ito. -ita	Silla (Chair)	Sillita	Little chair
-illo, -illa	Pobre (Poor)	Pobrecillo	Poor thing

Augmentative

Augmentative suffixes normally add importance, intensity, or increase the size of the original word.

Suffix	Base word	Derivative word	Translation
-azo, -aza	Perro (Dog)	Perrazo	Big dog
-ote, -ota	Libro (Book)	Librote	Big book
-ón, -ona	Cabeza (Head)	Cabezón	Big head / Pigheaded

Derogatory

Derogatory suffixes tend to add negative connotation, disparagement, or contempt to the original word.

Suffix	Base word	Derivative word	Translation
-acho	Pueblo (Town)	Poblacho	Small Town
-ajo, -aja	Hierba (Herb)	Hierbajo	Weed
-ucho, -ucha	Delgado (Thin)	Delgaducho	Scrawny

Spanish Suffixes Practice

Can you identify the suffix in the below sentences?

1) Tengo que cuidar a mi sobrino, es un niñito así que tengo que vigilarlo bien.

(I have to look after my nephew, he’s a small kid so I have to be on top of him all the time)

2) Eres muy cabezón, ningún sombrero te queda bien.

(Your head is really big, no hat fits you well)

3) Hoy tengo varios temas para enseñar en clase.

(I have a few topics to teach in class)

4)Ayer tuviste que trabajar hasta tarde, hoy mereces un descanso.

(You had to work late last night, you deserve some rest)

5) Conocimos a un señor amabilísimo que nos dio direcciones.

(We met a very kind sir that gave us some directions)

6) Trabajó como camionero por cinco años antes de conseguir algo mejor.

(He worked as a trucker for five years before finding something better)

7) Si tienes papeles que entregar, puedes dejarlos en mi escritorio.

(If you have any documents to turn in, leave them at my desk)

8) Estaba actuando muy gruñón toda la tarde.

(He was very grumpy all afternoon)

9) ¡Pero mírate, estás todo flacucho como si no comieras!

(But look at you! You’re all skinny, as if you didn’t ever eat.)

10) Este mes comienza con un aire otoñal.

(This month began with an autumn air)

Answers

1) Niñito (Diminutive suffix)

2) Cabezón (Augmentative suffix, also Adjective forming)

3) Enseñar (Verb forming suffix, from the noun Enseñanza)

4) Trabajar (Verb forming suffix, from the noun Trabajo)

5) Amabilísimo (Augmentative suffix)

6) Camionero (Adjective forming suffix, from the noun Camión)

7) Escritorio (Noun-forming suffix, from the Verb Escribir)

8) Gruñón (Noun forming augmentative suffix)

9) Flacucho (Diminutive suffix)

10) Otoñal (Adjective forming suffix, from the noun Otoño)