Suffixes in Spanish

This section explains suffixes in Spanish and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers.

What are Suffixes?

Suffixes are a group of letters added at the end of a word to modify its meaning or to change its grammatical category. They are used to form new words, express different meanings, or indicate tenses, moods, and aspects in verbs.

Suffixes are essential in Spanish as they allow you to create a variety of words from a single root, such as turning a verb into a noun, or an adjective into a diminutive form.

Types of Suffixes in Spanish

There are several types of suffixes in Spanish, including:

• Diminutive Suffixes (to express smallness or affection)
• Augmentative Suffixes (to express largeness or intensity)
• Noun Suffixes (to form nouns from verbs, adjectives, etc.)
• Adjective Suffixes (to form adjectives)
• Verb Suffixes (to indicate tense or person)

Diminutive Suffixes

Diminutive suffixes are used to express something small or to show affection. They are often used with nouns, and the most common diminutive suffixes are -ito/-ita and -illo/-illa.

Examples:

• Perro (dog) → perrito (puppy)
• Casa (house) → casita (little house)
• Libro (book) → librito (small book)

Note: The gender of the noun must agree with the suffix.

• Perro (masculine) → perrito (puppy)
• Casa (feminine) → casita (little house)

Augmentative Suffixes

Augmentative suffixes are used to indicate something big or to emphasise a quality, sometimes with a negative connotation. Common augmentative suffixes include -ón/-ona and -azo/-aza.

Examples:

• Libro (book) → libroazo (big book, often with a negative sense like a heavy or difficult book)
• Niña (girl) → niñona (big girl)
• Perro (dog) → perrazo (big dog, sometimes used sarcastically)

Noun Suffixes

Noun suffixes are used to form nouns from adjectives or verbs. Some common noun-forming suffixes include -ción (similar to -tion in English), -dad (similar to -ity in English), -aje (used for collective nouns), and -ista (indicating profession or affiliation).

Examples:

• Acción (action) → from actuar (to act)
• Felicidad (happiness) → from feliz (happy)
• Viaje (trip) → from viajar (to travel)
• Artista (artist) → from arte (art)

Adjective Suffixes

Adjective suffixes are used to create adjectives from nouns or verbs. These suffixes often describe qualities or characteristics.

Examples:

• Rápido (fast) → from rapidez (speed)
• Limpio (clean) → from limpieza (cleanliness)
• Amable (kind) → from amor (love)

Common adjective suffixes:

• -oso/-osa (meaning "full of"):
  • Delicioso (delicious) → from delicia (delight)
  • Miedoso (scared) → from miedo (fear)
• -ble (meaning "able to be"):
  • Comible (edible) → from comer (to eat)
  • Legible (legible) → from leer (to read)

Verb Suffixes

Verb suffixes indicate the tense, person, and number of the verb. They are attached to the stem of the verb to conjugate it.

Examples:

• -ar, -er, -ir (infinitive verb endings):
  • Hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), vivir (to live)
• -é, -aste, -ió (preterite endings):
  • Hablaré (I will speak), Comí (I ate), Vivió (he/she lived)
• -ando, -iendo (present participle):
  • Hablando (speaking), Comiendo (eating), Viviendo (living)

Foundation Tier Examples: Using Suffixes

At GCSE Foundation level, students will typically use suffixes to form common diminutive or augmentative forms and recognise verb conjugations in the present tense.

• Diminutive example:
  • Una casita (a small house, or little house).
  • Un perrito (a little dog, or puppy).
• Verb example:
  • Hablar (to speak) → hablo (I speak).

Higher Tier Examples: Using Suffixes

At the Higher tier, students will use more complex suffixes, including those for forming nouns and adjectives, and will need to be familiar with verb conjugations in various tenses.

• Diminutive example:
  • Una mochilita (a little backpack, or cute backpack).
• Augmentative example:
  • Una peliculaza (a big movie, or important movie).
• Noun example:
  • Educación (education) → from educar (to educate).
• Verb example:
  • Estudiaré (I will study) → from estudiar (to study).
  • Hablando (speaking) → present participle of hablar (to speak).

Summary Table of Common Suffixes

Additional Notes on Suffixes

• Some suffixes, particularly diminutive and augmentative ones, can change the tone of the word, adding a sense of affection or emphasis.
• It's essential to understand that the suffix may cause the root word to change slightly (e.g., libro becomes librito), especially when the word ends in a vowel or consonant.
• The gender of the noun must agree with the suffix: masculine suffixes are often -o or -ón, and feminine suffixes are often -a or -ona.

By understanding and using suffixes in Spanish, you can enrich your vocabulary, improve your ability to form complex sentences, and express a wide range of meanings in different contexts. Whether for diminutives, augmentatives, or verb conjugations, suffixes play an essential role in mastering the Spanish language at both foundation and higher levels.