Superlatives in Spanish are adjectives that you’ll use to compare three or more things where one is “the most” or “the least” in certain characteristics.
One of the most common ways to describe someone or something in Spanish is to compare it against something similar. If you think about it, people compare things against each other on a daily basis. As a result, you should take the time to master Spanish superlatives and comparatives. Comparative and superlative adjectives are an important part of learning Spanish.
Spanish superlatives are closely related to comparative sentences since they describe the level of an attribute that a person, activity, or thing has. However, Spanish superlatives are words or structures that help you express that a subject is at the top (greatest) or at the bottom (least) of a group. In other words, you use superlatives in Spanish to:
- Express that a person in a group has outstanding characteristics that differentiate them from their peers.
- Emphasize that a subject has the highest level of a certain quality.
- Absolute superlative
- Relative superlative
There are two types of superlatives in Spanish. Superlativo absoluto doesn’t rely on a comparison. On the other hand, relative superlatives are a comparison to determine what subject has the most outstanding characteristics of that group.
Forming Absolute Superlatives
As mentioned above, absolute superlatives express and emphasize that a subject has a remarkable or extraordinary characteristic. Because of this, Spanish absolute superlatives don’t require you to compare one object with another. The most common way to form this type of superlative is to change the adjective or adverb by adding the ending ‘-ísimo’ or its feminine form ‘-ísima’. Let’s see some examples:
[Noun] + [verb conjugated] + [adjective/adverb without its final vowel] + ísimo
Espérame, caminas rapidísimo.
Wait for me, you walk extremely fast.
Estos zapatos están baratísimos.
These shoes are super cheap.
La comida de mi mamá es buenísima.
My mom’s food is great.
Forming Relative Superlative
Unlike absolute superlatives in Spanish, relative superlatives actually rely on a comparison. The purpose of this structure is to express that a person or thing inside a group has the most or least outstanding characteristics of all. To put it another way, this type of superlative locates the subject either at the bottom or at the top of a group based on a determined quality. In this case, the formulas we use are:
… [definite article] + más + [adjective]
Or:
… [definite article] + menos + [adjective]
Something to notice is that Spanish superlatives are often built with the verb ‘ser’, although other verbs (or no verb) can also be used. You also need to make sure that the adjectives and Spanish definite articles agree in number and gender with the noun. Here are some examples:
[Noun] + [‘ser’ conjugated] + [definite article] + más / menos + [adjective]
Quiero el pastel más rico que vendas.
I want the tastiest cake you sell.
Eres la persona más amable que he conocido.
You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met.
Sonia y Joselyn son las menos pacientes.
Sonia and Joselyn are the least patient.