What is the difference between diminutives and augmentatives

Note: Don't confuse diminutive endings with the "-ito" endings of some irregular past participles: escrito , frito , etc. Diminutives are much more common in Spanish than they are in English. Different regions have their own unique ways of creating diminutives, but the most common one is a form of "-ito. Tengo una casita en la ciudad. I have a little house in the city. He taught history in a small school. Mi abuelita se llama Marta.

My dear grandma is named Marta. Unlike the diminutive, where the suffix 'ito' is commonly used for almost all cases. In the augmentative, all the suffixes listed above are used very frequently. For example, to say big chair big chair , you would say 'sillotota', and for big ball big ball you would say 'pelotota'.

There are also the 'augmentative compounds', these are to address the size or importance of the subject to a higher level, these are created by lengthening the suffix. The augmentative is not only applied to increase the importance or size of the subject, but also to give it an ostentatious meaning or that impresses the eye.

For example For in the context of sentence, this augmentative does not communicate size, but ostentatiousness. There is one particular use of the suffix -azo that shows a hit with parts of the body or objects.

These words are always masculine. Ana left the house with a door slam. I hit myself hard when I fell. In some cases when augmentative suffixes are added, completely new words with their own meanings are formed.

Here at Speakeasy you'll find courses for all abilities and timetables, an incredible team of talented and motivated teachers and classmates to share your interests and passions. And if you need a visa for your stay, then of course we're able to help and advise. View Privacy Policy Ok, understood! For words ending o or a , drop the final vowel and add —ito or —ita:. The augmentative usually indicates large size but can also signal dislike. To form the augmentative of a word, drop the final vowel and add the ending.

If a noun ends in a consonant, simply add the ending. Tag: atlanta , ga , georgia , language island , Spanish Diminutives and Augmentatives.