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A ",[61,62,63],"strong",{},"casa"," (house) becomes a ",[61,66,67],{},"casita",", and it is not merely smaller: it is cosier, dearer, spoken of with a smile. Ask for ",[61,70,71],{},"un momento"," and you sound brisk; ask for ",[61,74,75],{},"un momentito"," and you sound polite. These endings, the ",[61,78,79],{},"diminutives"," and ",[61,82,83],{},"augmentatives",", run right through everyday speech, and they carry a great deal more than size.",[86,87,89],"h2",{"id":88},"diminutives-ito-ita-little-but-mostly-affectionate","Diminutives: -ito, -ita (little, but mostly affectionate)",[57,91,92,93,96],{},"The diminutive ",[61,94,95],{},"-ito \u002F -ita"," is the workhorse. Its textbook job is to shrink:",[98,99,100,109,118],"ul",{},[101,102,103,105,106,108],"li",{},[61,104,63],{}," -> ",[61,107,67],{}," (little house)",[101,110,111,105,114,117],{},[61,112,113],{},"perro",[61,115,116],{},"perrito"," (little dog, puppy)",[101,119,120,105,123,126],{},[61,121,122],{},"flor",[61,124,125],{},"florecita"," (little flower)",[57,128,129,130,133],{},"But in real Spanish the ",[61,131,132],{},"affectionate and softening"," meaning is far more common than actual smallness:",[98,135,136,144,166,175,184],{},[101,137,138,140,141,143],{},[61,139,75],{}," (just a moment) - politer than ",[61,142,71],{},".",[101,145,146,149,150,153,154,157,158,161,162,165],{},[61,147,148],{},"un poquito"," (a little bit) - a hedge on quantity; note ",[61,151,152],{},"poco"," becomes ",[61,155,156],{},"poquito",", the ",[61,159,160],{},"c"," spelt ",[61,163,164],{},"qu"," to keep the sound.",[101,167,168,171,172,143],{},[61,169,170],{},"ahorita"," (in just a moment \u002F right now, depending on region) - from ",[61,173,174],{},"ahora",[101,176,177,180,181,143],{},[61,178,179],{},"despacito"," (nice and slowly) - a diminutive on the ",[61,182,183],{},"adverb despacio",[101,185,186,189,190,193,194,197],{},[61,187,188],{},"Juanito",", ",[61,191,192],{},"abuelita"," - warmth on a name or ",[61,195,196],{},"abuela"," (dear granny).",[57,199,200,201,204,205,208,209,212,213,208,216,219,220,223,224,227],{},"Notice that diminutives attach not only to ",[61,202,203],{},"nouns"," but to ",[61,206,207],{},"adjectives"," (",[61,210,211],{},"pequeñito",", ever so small) and even some ",[61,214,215],{},"adverbs",[61,217,218],{},"cerquita",", from ",[61,221,222],{},"cerca",", meaning nice and close; ",[61,225,226],{},"rapidito",", quick).",[229,230,232],"h3",{"id":231},"which-form-ito-cito-or-ecito","Which form: -ito, -cito or -ecito?",[57,234,235],{},"The ending you add depends on how the word finishes:",[98,237,238,251,271],{},[101,239,240,241,244,245,189,248,143],{},"Words in ",[61,242,243],{},"-a \u002F -o",": swap the vowel. ",[61,246,247],{},"casa -> casita",[61,249,250],{},"perro -> perrito",[101,252,240,253,256,257,260,261,264,265,189,268,143],{},[61,254,255],{},"-e, -n, -r",": usually ",[61,258,259],{},"-cito \u002F -cita",". ",[61,262,263],{},"coche -> cochecito"," (little car \u002F pram), ",[61,266,267],{},"joven -> jovencito",[61,269,270],{},"flor -> florecita",[101,272,273,274,260,277,280,281,143],{},"Short one-syllable words: often ",[61,275,276],{},"-ecito \u002F -ecita",[61,278,279],{},"pan -> panecito"," (bread roll), ",[61,282,270],{},[57,284,285],{},"Regional habits vary a lot, so alternatives abound, but these cover most cases.",[229,287,289],{"id":288},"the-illo-variant-and-words-that-froze","The -illo variant, and words that froze",[57,291,292,293,296,297,300,301,304,305,308,309,312],{},"A cousin of ",[61,294,295],{},"-ito"," is ",[61,298,299],{},"-illo \u002F -cillo",". It can be a plain diminutive (",[61,302,303],{},"chiquillo",", a little kid; ",[61,306,307],{},"ventanilla",", a small window or ticket window), and in some regions, notably Andalusia, it is the diminutive of choice. A ",[61,310,311],{},"pitillo"," is a cigarette (a \"little pipe\").",[57,314,315,316,319,320,323],{},"The twist is that many ",[61,317,318],{},"-illo"," words have ",[61,321,322],{},"frozen into new nouns",", no longer felt as little versions of anything:",[98,325,326,336,346],{},[101,327,328,331,332,335],{},[61,329,330],{},"bolsillo"," = pocket (not a little ",[61,333,334],{},"bolsa",", bag)",[101,337,338,341,342,345],{},[61,339,340],{},"bocadillo"," = sandwich (not a little ",[61,343,344],{},"bocado",", mouthful)",[101,347,348,350],{},[61,349,307],{}," = car window or ticket window",[57,352,353],{},"Learn these as fresh vocabulary.",[86,355,357],{"id":356},"augmentatives-on-azo-ote-big-and-then-some","Augmentatives: -on, -azo, -ote (big, and then some)",[57,359,360,361,364],{},"Where diminutives shrink, augmentatives ",[61,362,363],{},"enlarge"," - and colour.",[57,366,367,370],{},[61,368,369],{},"-on \u002F -ona"," makes things big, sometimes admiringly, sometimes rudely:",[98,372,373,387],{},[101,374,375,378,379,382,383,386],{},[61,376,377],{},"hombre -> un hombron"," (a big, burly man); also ",[61,380,381],{},"grandote"," or ",[61,384,385],{},"grandullon"," for great big.",[101,388,389,390,393,394,397,398,401],{},"It can describe a ",[61,391,392],{},"person by a habit",", not by size: ",[61,395,396],{},"un pregunton"," is someone who asks endless questions; ",[61,399,400],{},"un comilon"," eats a lot.",[57,403,404,407],{},[61,405,406],{},"-azo \u002F -aza"," means big and impressive:",[98,409,410,416],{},[101,411,412,415],{},[61,413,414],{},"un exitazo"," (a smash hit, huge success)",[101,417,418,421],{},[61,419,420],{},"un cochazo"," (a fabulous great car)",[57,423,424,425,428,429,432],{},"But watch the second life of ",[61,426,427],{},"-azo",": it also names ",[61,430,431],{},"a blow or impact",":",[98,434,435,441,451],{},[101,436,437,440],{},[61,438,439],{},"golpe -> un golpazo"," (a hard blow)",[101,442,443,446,447,450],{},[61,444,445],{},"un codazo"," (a jab with the elbow, from ",[61,448,449],{},"codo",")",[101,452,453,456,457,450],{},[61,454,455],{},"un portazo"," (a door slammed, from ",[61,458,459],{},"puerta",[57,461,462,465,466,468,469,472],{},[61,463,464],{},"-ote \u002F -ota"," simply enlarges, often warmly: ",[61,467,381],{}," (great big), ",[61,470,471],{},"amigote"," (old mate).",[86,474,476],{"id":475},"pejoratives-ucho-aco-uzo-the-sneering-endings","Pejoratives: -ucho, -aco, -uzo (the sneering endings)",[57,478,479,480,432],{},"A smaller set exists purely to ",[61,481,482],{},"disparage",[98,484,485,491,497],{},[101,486,487,490],{},[61,488,489],{},"casa -> casucha"," (a wretched hovel)",[101,492,493,496],{},[61,494,495],{},"gente -> gentuza"," (riff-raff)",[101,498,499,502,503,450],{},[61,500,501],{},"pajarraco"," (an ugly great bird, from ",[61,504,505],{},"pajaro",[57,507,508],{},"These add contempt or shabbiness, so handle them with care.",[86,510,512],{"id":511},"a-quick-reference","A quick reference",[514,515,516,532],"table",{},[517,518,519],"thead",{},[520,521,522,526,529],"tr",{},[523,524,525],"th",{},"Suffix",[523,527,528],{},"Meaning",[523,530,531],{},"Example",[533,534,535,546,557,567,577,587,597],"tbody",{},[520,536,537,540,543],{},[538,539,95],"td",{},[538,541,542],{},"little; affectionate; polite",[538,544,545],{},"casita (little house); momentito (a mo)",[520,547,548,551,554],{},[538,549,550],{},"-cito \u002F -ecito",[538,552,553],{},"same, after -e\u002F-n\u002F-r or short",[538,555,556],{},"cochecito (pram); panecito (roll)",[520,558,559,561,564],{},[538,560,299],{},[538,562,563],{},"little; often frozen new noun",[538,565,566],{},"chiquillo (kid); bolsillo (pocket)",[520,568,569,571,574],{},[538,570,369],{},[538,572,573],{},"big; or a person by habit",[538,575,576],{},"hombron (big man); pregunton (asks a lot)",[520,578,579,581,584],{},[538,580,406],{},[538,582,583],{},"big, impressive; or a blow",[538,585,586],{},"exitazo (smash hit); portazo (door slam)",[520,588,589,591,594],{},[538,590,464],{},[538,592,593],{},"big, often warm",[538,595,596],{},"grandote (great big); amigote (old mate)",[520,598,599,602,605],{},[538,600,601],{},"-ucho \u002F -uzo",[538,603,604],{},"shabby, contemptuous",[538,606,607],{},"casucha (hovel); gentuza (riff-raff)",[86,609,611],{"id":610},"watch-the-gender-flip","Watch the gender flip",[57,613,614,615,618],{},"Adding a suffix can ",[61,616,617],{},"change the gender"," of a word. The classic case:",[98,620,621],{},[101,622,623,626,627,630],{},[61,624,625],{},"la silla"," (the chair) -> ",[61,628,629],{},"el sillon"," (the armchair)",[57,632,633],{},"The base is feminine, the augmentative masculine, and the meaning has shifted from little version to a distinct object. This is another reason to treat frozen forms as their own vocabulary rather than decoding them each time.",[86,635,637],{"id":636},"why-bother","Why bother?",[57,639,640,641,644,645,80,648,651,652,80,655,651,658,80,661,664],{},"Because this is where Spanish keeps its ",[61,642,643],{},"feelings",". The choice between ",[61,646,647],{},"momento",[61,649,650],{},"momentito",", between ",[61,653,654],{},"una casa",[61,656,657],{},"una casita",[61,659,660],{},"un hombre",[61,662,663],{},"un hombron",", is the difference between flat information and warmth, politeness, admiration or scorn. Learn the endings, notice the frozen nouns, and your Spanish will stop sounding like a phrasebook and start sounding lived-in.",[86,666,668],{"id":667},"see-also","See also",[98,670,671,679],{},[101,672,673,678],{},[674,675,677],"a",{"href":676},"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fnoun-gender","Noun gender"," - the masculine and feminine system these suffixes can quietly overturn (la silla, el sillon).",[101,680,681,685,686,690],{},[674,682,684],{"href":683},"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fser-vs-estar","Ser and estar"," and the wider ",[674,687,689],{"href":688},"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar","Spanish grammar cheatsheet"," - the core building blocks these endings decorate.",{"title":692,"searchDepth":693,"depth":693,"links":694},"",2,[695,700,701,702,703,704,705],{"id":88,"depth":693,"text":89,"children":696},[697,699],{"id":231,"depth":698,"text":232},3,{"id":288,"depth":698,"text":289},{"id":356,"depth":693,"text":357},{"id":475,"depth":693,"text":476},{"id":511,"depth":693,"text":512},{"id":610,"depth":693,"text":611},{"id":636,"depth":693,"text":637},{"id":667,"depth":693,"text":668},"B1-B2","The Spanish suffixes that shrink, enlarge and colour a word: -ito and -illo for little and affectionate, -on, -azo and -ote for big, plus the pejorative endings. How they attach and what they really mean.",[709,740],{"type":710,"instructions":711,"items":712},"fill-blank","Form the diminutive or augmentative asked for in brackets. Add the correct ending to the word given.",[713,716,719,722,725,728,732,736],{"prompt":714,"answer":67,"hint":715},"casa -> ___ (little house, affectionate)","diminutive -ita on casa",{"prompt":717,"answer":116,"hint":718},"perro -> ___ (little dog, affectionate)","diminutive -ito on perro",{"prompt":720,"answer":650,"hint":721},"momento -> ___ (just a moment, polite)","diminutive -ito on momento",{"prompt":723,"answer":156,"hint":724},"poco -> un ___ (a little bit)","diminutive on poco, the c becomes qu",{"prompt":726,"answer":192,"hint":727},"abuela -> ___ (dear granny)","diminutive -ita on abuela",{"prompt":729,"answer":730,"hint":731},"pan -> ___ (little bread roll)","panecito","short word takes -ecito",{"prompt":733,"answer":734,"hint":735},"hombre -> un ___ (a big burly man)","hombron","augmentative -on on hombre",{"prompt":737,"answer":738,"hint":739},"golpe -> un ___ (a hard blow)","golpazo","augmentative -azo meaning a blow",{"type":741,"instructions":742,"items":743},"which-one","Choose the form that fits the meaning in brackets.",[744,748,752,757,762,766],{"prompt":745,"answer":650,"options":746},"Espera un ___, por favor. (just a moment, polite)",[650,747],"momenton",{"prompt":749,"answer":67,"options":750},"Tienen una ___ preciosa en el pueblo. (a lovely little house)",[67,751],"casona",{"prompt":753,"answer":754,"options":755},"La pelicula fue un ___. (a huge success)","exitazo",[754,756],"exitito",{"prompt":758,"answer":759,"options":760},"Salio y dio un ___. (slammed the door)","portazo",[759,761],"portita",{"prompt":763,"answer":764,"options":765},"Vive en una ___ que se cae a trozos. (a wretched hovel)","casucha",[764,67],{"prompt":767,"answer":192,"options":768},"Mi ___ me hacia galletas. (dear granny)",[192,769],"abuelona","md",[772,775,778,781],{"q":773,"a":774},"What is the difference between the meaning of size and the meaning of affection in Spanish diminutives?","A diminutive like -ito can genuinely mean small: una casita is a little house. But far more often it signals warmth, politeness or downplaying rather than literal size. Un momentito is not a shorter moment than un momento; it is a friendlier, softer way to ask someone to wait. Un poquito (a little bit) hedges a quantity. Abuelita means granny with affection, not a small grandmother. Context decides which reading applies, and often both are present at once: casita can be small and beloved. This emotional layer is why diminutives pepper everyday speech far beyond anything English does with its endings.",{"q":776,"a":777},"How do you know whether to use -ito, -cito or -ecito in Spanish?","The choice depends on how the word ends. Most words ending in -a or -o just swap the vowel for -ito or -ita: casa becomes casita, perro becomes perrito. Words ending in -e, -n or -r usually take -cito or -cita: coche becomes cochecito, joven becomes jovencito, flor becomes florecita. Short one-syllable words often take -ecito or -ecita: pan becomes panecito, flor becomes florecita. Regional habits vary a lot, so you will hear alternatives, but these patterns cover most cases and will always be understood.",{"q":779,"a":780},"Do Spanish augmentatives always make a word bigger?","Size is the core meaning, but tone matters just as much. Un hombron is a big, hefty man, and grandote means great big. Yet -on can also describe a person defined by a habit rather than by size: un pregunton is someone who asks endless questions, un comilon someone who eats a lot. The -azo suffix means big and impressive in un exitazo (a huge success), but the very same ending names a blow: un codazo is a jab with the elbow, un portazo is a door slammed shut. So an augmentative can enlarge, admire, criticise or describe an impact, and only context tells you which.",{"q":782,"a":783},"Can a diminutive or augmentative change a word into a completely new noun?","Yes, and this is a lovely trap. Some words carrying these endings have frozen into their own meanings, no longer felt as small or big versions of anything. Un bolsillo is a pocket, not a little bag (bolsa). Un bocadillo is a sandwich, not a little mouthful (bocado). Una ventanilla is a ticket window or car window, not just a small window (ventana). El sillon is an armchair, not a big chair, and notice the gender has flipped from la silla. When you meet these, learn them as fresh vocabulary rather than trying to work out the base word each time.","higher","Spanish loves to tinker with the ends of its words. A casa (house) becomes a casita, and suddenly it is not just smaller but cosier, dearer, more affectionately spoken of. Ask for un momento and you sound impatient; ask for un momentito and you sound polite. These endings, the diminutives and augmentatives, are everywhere in real Spanish, and they carry far more than size. The diminutive -ito softens, endears and downplays: un poquito (a little bit), despacito (nice and slow), ahorita (in a moment), abuelita (dear granny). The augmentatives -on, -azo and -ote enlarge, and often add admiration or contempt: un hombron (a big burly man), un exitazo (a smash hit), un portazo (a door slammed). A separate set, the pejoratives -ucho and -uzo, exist purely to sneer: una casucha is a hovel, gentuza is riff-raff. This page sorts the main suffixes, shows which form attaches to which word, and explains the feelings they smuggle in. Master them and your Spanish stops sounding like a textbook and starts sounding like a person.","spanish",{},true,"\u002Fspanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fdiminutives-augmentatives",{"title":46,"description":707},"spanish\u002Fgrammar\u002Fdiminutives-augmentatives","oK5uLPfVWb233N6LE4SvShgs3BlAmbvtfJ3aJyzGg0I",[],{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":795},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M13 21h8M15 5l4 4m2.174-2.188a1 1 0 0 0-3.986-3.987L3.842 16.174a2 2 0 0 0-.5.83l-1.321 4.352a.5.5 0 0 0 .623.622l4.353-1.32a2 2 0 0 0 .83-.497z\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":797},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M12 15V3m9 12v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m7 10l5 5l5-5\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":799},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M20 20a2 2 0 0 0 2-2V8a2 2 0 0 0-2-2h-7.9a2 2 0 0 1-1.69-.9L9.6 3.9A2 2 0 0 0 7.93 3H4a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v13a2 2 0 0 0 2 2Zm-8-10v6\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m15 13l-3 3l-3-3\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":801},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M11 4.702a.705.705 0 0 0-1.203-.498L6.413 7.587A1.4 1.4 0 0 1 5.416 8H3a1 1 0 0 0-1 1v6a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h2.416a1.4 1.4 0 0 1 .997.413l3.383 3.384A.705.705 0 0 0 11 19.298zM16 9a5 5 0 0 1 0 6m3.364 3.364a9 9 0 0 0 0-12.728\"\u002F>"]