Diminutives are endings (-ito, -illo, -ito) that are added to words to refer to smaller versions of something or to express that something has less intensity. They can be used as a form of endearment or can even have a pejorative (negative/insulting) tone. Diminutives agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the words they refer to. Want to know more about these palabrillas meaning little words? Let's get to it!
How are diminutives used in Spanish?
Diminutive endings can be added to , , and . When used with nouns, diminutives can refer to smaller versions of the noun it refers to. For example:
They may also be used as a form of endearment. For example, the following sentence expresses a form of endearment towards my house.
Or to act friendly towards someone:
When used with adjectives, diminutives can make the meaning of such words more polite.
When used with adverbs they enhance or give a more precise meaning.
In some cases, diminutives can also be used as a form of sarcasm. For example: to mean the opposite of the size of something.
Luis gave me a big present. When I get home, my roommate expresses:
Check here for a list of everyday Spanish expressions with diminutives.
How to form diminutives in Spanish?
As mentioned previously, diminutive endings (-ito, -illo, -ico) can be added to nouns, adjectives, and some adverbs. When added to nouns or adjectives, they in and with the noun they refer to. Each diminutive ending has four forms:
| Diminutive Endings | Example |
|---|---|
-ito, -ita, -itos, -itas (-cito, -ecito) |
|
-illo, -illa, -illos, -illas (-cillo, -ecillo) | travieso → traviesillo, traviesilla, traviesillos, traviesillas Translation: mischievous (as a form of endearment) |
-ico, -ica, -icos, -icas (-cico, -ecico) |
|
For more on Spanish plurals, click the link!
When added to adverbs, diminutives are invariable, that is, their forms don't change. For example, the adverbs apenas meaning barely or despacio meaning slowly only have one diminutive form:
Each ending also has two variants (-c- and -ec-) that are added depending on the ending of the word. Let’s see how these endings and their variants are added to words:
For words ending in -o or -a, simply drop the and add -ito, -ico, or -illo:
perro → perrito, perrillo, perricoTranslation: dogFor words ending in a other than n or r, just add the diminutive ending:
árbol → arbolito, arbolillo, arbolicoTranslation: treeFor words ending in r, n, or e, you will need to add a -c- before the ending to make it flow:
avión → avioncito, avioncillo, avioncicoTranslation: planeAnd, for one- words, add -ec- before the ending:
flor → florecita, florecilla, florecicaTranslation: flower
Diminutive meanings
Now that we know how to form them, let’s see how each diminutive ending is used.
Ending ‘-ito’
This diminutive and its variants (-cito and -ecito) are more common in Latin American Spanish.
They are used to refer to something of a smaller size or as a form of endearment when added to nouns. For example, when talking to children:
When used with adjectives, this diminutive ending can have several uses:
As a polite form, to soften the meaning of words that can be perceived as negative:
gorditoTranslation: chubbytontitoTranslation: sillyfeitoTranslation: uglypequeñitoTranslation: tinyAs a form of endearment:
pobreTranslation: poor→
Pobrecita, está muy enferma.Translation: Poor little thing, she’s very sick.This also applies to some past participles used as adjectives:
dormidoTranslation: asleep→
No despiertes a papá; está dormidito.Translation: Don’t wake up daddy; he’s sleeping.To highlight the characteristic of the object it refers to:
Mi coche está nuevecito.Translation: My car is brand new.Mis sábanas están suavecitas.Translation: My bedsheets are so soft.
Ending '-illo'
This diminutive (and its variants -cillo and -ecillo) is also used for smaller size and as a form of endearment. Interestingly, this diminutive can also be used as a form of sarcasm, may have a pejorative use, or can be used to downgrade the importance of something; it depends on the context and intonation of the speaker. Let’s see some examples:
Endearment or affectionate tone:
chicoTranslation: kid→
Ese chiquillo es mi hijo.Translation: That little boy is my son.To soften a word that might be offensive:
locoTranslation: crazy→
Todos en esta familia estamos un poco loquillos.Translation: Everybody in this family is a little crazy.Used as sarcasm or to refer to an object/person in a pejorative or insulting way:
trabajoTranslation: job→
Tu empleo es un trabajillo que cualquiera puede hacer.Translation: Your job is a job that anybody can do.abogadoTranslation: lawyer→
Es solo un abogadillo.Translation: He is just a bad lawyer.To downgrade the importance of something:
problemaTranslation: problem→
Tengo un problemilla.Translation: I have a little problem.juegoTranslation: game→
No voy a caer en tu jueguillo.Translation: I’m not gonna play your little game.
Ending '-ico'
The forms of -ico are commonly used in the Caribbean varieties and in some parts of Spain. They are also used to refer to a smaller size or as forms of endearment. The -ico endings are mostly used with words that have a -t- in the last syllable.
→
→
Multiple diminutives
Two diminutives (or more) can be used in a word to highlight smaller size. In order to add this emphasis, multiple -it can be added before the diminutive itself. For example:
→
→
Less common diminutives
Diminutives ending in -ín, -ete, -uelo are less common, but exist in Spanish.
The diminutive ending -ín is commonly used as a form of endearment. Oftentimes it’s used with words that have a negative connotation or meaning.
The diminutive ending -ete is commonly used as a pejorative form. The spelling of the word may change as in viejo meaning old.
The diminutive ending -uelo is the only one in this list that has masculine/feminine and singular/plural forms. It’s commonly used as a form of endearment.
Curious to know what endings you can use to make something bigger in Spanish? Don’t miss out on our post on Spanish augmentatives!
Summary
Diminutives have multiple forms. The main ones are: -ito, -illo, -ico, and their variants.
They can be added to nouns, adjectives, and some adverbs.
They agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Diminutives -ito, -illo, -ico are mostly used to refer to a smaller size of something, but are used also:
as a form of endearment
as polite forms, especially when they are used with adjectives
to soften the importance of something
in some cases to have pejorative or insulting meanings
as a form of sarcasm, depending on the tone.
Now that you have read all the uses and forms of diminutives, practice with this exercise!
