Did you know that there are more than 275 suffixes in the Spanish language? Imagine knowing only a couple and how that would improve your Spanish vocabulary? Let's see what a suffix actually is and what are the most common suffixes in the Spanish language. At the end of this article you will find a list of all suffixes in the Spanish language.
What is a suffix?
Suffixes are modifications of the word root saspellingmodifications or endings that change meaning in Spanish.
(Video) How to use Suffixes in Spanish - Basic Grammar
There are many different types of suffixes that we will explore today. Let's start with an overview of what a suffix is. Suffixes are common words that are usually attached to a root and change the meaning of the root in some way; more precisely, a suffix is an addition to a form of spoken or written language by which the associated linguistic roots are modified to form more complex words.
See Also
Spansk slang för vän - Hur man berättar för någon att de är din "bror" - LangBox12 olika sätt att säga vän på spanska90 husdjursnamn på spanska - Uttryck din tillgivenhet - LangBoxSome common suffixes in English include -able/-ible, -ness, -ful and -ish. The same is found in the Spanish language, which changes the meaning of the word. Let's look at some commonly used suffixes in Spanish:
(Video) PREFIXES & SUFFIXES | English Lesson
The most common suffixes in Spanish:
to to– state the diminutive form
for example: hvalp (small dog), lille gage (smallpresent)
I was / I was- form occupations from nouns and form places where a common noun resides or functions as a noun.
for example: sugar bowl (sugar glass), salt shaker (salt shakers), hat (hat, shade supplier)
(Video) Spanish Words - 100 Most Common Words Translated - Covering 50% of Spoken Conversation!
ía – create a location name, usually a store. Or suggest that something is related.
for example: bakery (bread shop, bakery), shoe shop (shoe shop), hardware store (hardware shop)
anyone- create businesses
for example: dentist, linguist, pensioner, cheerleader. See the full listall Spanish words ending in ISTA here.
(Video) Suffixes
dor – dora- used to make instruments, household appliances, names of places, professions and jobs.
for example: vacuum cleaner, diner, driver, hostel, loser
in– is used in the same way -ly words are used in English.
for example: pacientemente (patiently), practica (practically). See the full listall words ending in -mente in Spanish.
(Video) Spanish Prefixes: Boost Your Vocab Overnight
List of all suffixes in Spanish
In total, there are just over 275 suffixes in Spanish. Find the full list below:
All Spanish suffixes
| Spanish suffix | Say… |
|---|---|
| -in | -ace. (It is used to form feminine singular nouns.) |
| -in | -with. (Used to form third person singular (also used with usted)presentindicative mood of regular -ar verbs.) |
| -in | (It is used to form adjectives in the feminine singular.) |
| -in | (Used to form first and third person singular subjunctive (also used with usted) in -er and -Iverbs, also used for imperative usted.) |
| -in | (It is used to form the imperative in the second person singular of the verb -ar.) |
| -aba | Suffix indicating the imperfect indicative of the first person singular of the verb -ar |
| -aba | A suffix indicating the imperfect third person singular in -ar of the verb |
| -abais | A suffix indicating the second person plural of the verb imperfect indicative -ar |
| -prohibit | A suffix indicating the imperfect of the third person plural in -ar of the verb |
| - both of you | A suffix indicating the second person singular of the imperfect indicative -ar of the verb |
| -capable | |
| -ation | alternative form -tion |
| -ada | It is used to form words derived from nouns corresponding to -ful (as much as something fits) |
| -ada | It is used to form words, derived from nouns, denoting a hit with a named object |
| -ada | It is used to form words, derived from nouns, which denote a whole |
| -ada | It is used to form words indicating abundance or excess |
| -ada | It is used to form words that indicate an action |
| -ada | It is used to form words that indicate a period of time |
| -ada | It is used with the stem to form a perfect in the feminine singular of regular verbs -are; feminine form in -ado |
| -difficulty | A suffix indicating the past participle of regular -ar verbs |
| - I love it | Form in -dor attached to -ar of the verb stem. Forms (usually agent) of nouns and adjectives |
| - love | feminine form -ador |
| -prayer | The -dura form used with -ar verbs to form nouns |
| - witchcraft | Forms masculine nouns expressing action, quantity, place, time period, etc |
| -al | In adjectives denoting relationships |
| -al | In nouns it indicates a place where something is grown |
| - algae | - perception |
| -ment | alternativni oblik -mento |
| -ment | alternativni oblik -mento |
| -amos | suffix indicating the first person plural of the present indicative -ar verb |
| -amos | The ending indicating the past tense of the first person plural of the verb -ar |
| -amos | A suffix indicating the imperative in the first person singular of the verbs -er and -ir |
| -amos | A suffix indicating the present subjunctive in the first person singular of verbs -er and -ir |
| -in | Suffixes indicating the third person plural imperative of verbs -er and -ir |
| -in | The ending indicating the present tense of the third person plural of the indicative verb -ar |
| -in | Suffixes indicating the present subjunctive of the third person plural of verbs -er and -ir |
| - used | -ancy |
| -ando | Denotes suffixgerundiveof the real -ar verbs |
| -again | Coming from, relating to, or resembling |
| -again | One of, belonging to, pertaining to or the like |
| -again | -an (in hydrocarbon names) |
| -ante | Forms adjectives from verbs |
| -is | A suffix indicating the future in the third person singular of the indicative -ar verb |
| -ar | In adjectives indicating membership or status |
| -ar | In nouns it indicates a place where something is grown |
| -ar | Infinitive suffix for many verbs |
| -aran | It indicates the imperfect subjunctive in the (formal) second person plural forregular verbsends in -ar |
| -aran | It indicates the third person plural imperfect subjunctive for regular verbs ending in -ar |
| - areas | A suffix indicating the future of the second person plural in the indicative -ar verb |
| -silver | -I |
| -do | It marks the indicative past tense in the (formal) second person plural for regular verbs ending in -ar |
| -do | It indicates the indicative past tense in the third person plural for regular verbs ending in -ar |
| -as | suffix indicating the second person singular of the present indicative for -ar |
| -as | suffix indicative second person singular present subjunctive of -er verb and -ir verb |
| -astro | It is used to form nouns with a derogatory or inferior meaning |
| -at a | feminine form i -ato |
| -ato | means a salt or an ester attached to an acid |
| -ato | It indicates the service of the nominative base |
| -ato | Forms adjectives of quality |
| -ato | forms an institution from a noun basis |
| -ato | forms the corresponding noun action |
| -ato | denotes the young of a particular animal |
| -avo | added to a principal number to indicate a part of a whole divided into that number of parts. Forms both nouns and adjectives |
| - refrain | feminine form i -azo |
| -azgo | Forms the effect or state of the base word |
| -azgo | Forms the base word office |
| - Find out | Formation of reinforcing agents; words that express size or greatness |
| - Find out | Formation of pejoratives; words that emphasize contempt for the subject |
| - Find out | Formation of words expressing a blow or a blow |
| - Find out | Formation of words expressing suddenness or brevity |
| -Let's go | denotes the form of the imperfect in the first person plural of the verb -ar |
| -at | feminine former i -áceo |
| -aceous | -aceous |
| - object | A suffix indicating the second person plural of the present indicative -ar verb |
| - object | Suffixes denoting the present subjunctive of the second person plural of verbs -er and -ir |
| -ability | the -tata form commonly used for adjectives ending in -ble; It is generally comparable to the English suffix -ity |
| -ceta | feminine form of -cete, which in turn is a form of -ete |
| - you will | Oblik na -ete |
| - person | -cidal |
| - person | -cide (denotes a person or substance that kills) |
| -cidio | -cide (denotes the act of killing) |
| -cilla | feminine form -cillo |
| - hair | The form -illo added to some nouns |
| -if | It is used in the formation of a noun to represent the quality corresponding to the verb; -if |
| - the rest | feminine form of -cito Replaced "a" at the end of feminine words and names ending in a vowel to indicate diminutive |
| -quickly | -cyte (used to form cell names) |
| -quickly | Form in -ito. Replace the "o" at the end of masculine words and names to indicate the diminutive |
| -kola | breeder, breeder (formation of nouns and adjectives) |
| -kola | inhabitant (formation of nouns and adjectives) |
| -short | -short |
| - a coffin | - shake |
| -tata | It is used in the formation of a noun to represent the quality corresponding to the adjective; -hot |
| - I will | someone or something that makes, uses, or does. eg pescadero, crujidero, saladero, aserradero, embarcadero |
| -dor | Formation of derivatives from other nouns: |
| -dor | Formation (usually agent) of nouns and adjectives from verbs. The form used depends on the suffix of the verb being added: for -ar verbs use -ador (-adora), for -er verbs -edor (-edora) and for -ir verbs -idor (-idora) |
| -dora | feminine form i -dor |
| -dura | Forms nouns from verbs. The form used depends on the suffix of the verb that is added: for -ar verbs use -adura, for -er verbs use -edura, and for -ir verbs -idura |
| -And | feminine form in -en |
| -ear | form verbs from adjectives and nouns |
| -ececilla | feminine form of -ececillo |
| -ececillo | The form -illo added to some nouns |
| - excites | feminin form -ececito |
| -ececito | Form in -ito. Replace the "o" at the end of masculine words and names that end in a vowel to indicate the diminutive |
| -detail | - goes out |
| -ecilla | feminine form -ecillo |
| -ecillo | The form -illo added to some nouns |
| -ecita | feminin form -ecito |
| -ecito | Form in -ito. Replace the "o" at the end of masculine words and names that end in a vowel to indicate the diminutive |
| -dob | the -tata form commonly used for adjectives ending in -io or for disyllabic adjectives; It is generally comparable to the English suffix -ity |
| -dinning room | Form in -dor attached to -er of verb stems. Forms (usually agent) of nouns and adjectives |
| - Edora | feminine form i -edor |
| -edura | The -dura form is used with -er verbs to form nouns |
| - sutra | Formation of diminutives; applies an abominable or repulsive quality to a root |
| -mi | a suffix indicating the present in the first person plural, indicating the -er of the verb |
| -mi | The suffix indicating the imperative in the first person singular of the verb -ar |
| -mi | Suffix indicating the present subjunctive in the first person singular of the verb -ar |
| -u | The suffix indicating the imperative of the third person plural of the verb -ar |
| -u | Suffixes indicating the present tense of the third person plural in the sign of the verb -er and -ir |
| -u | Suffixes denoting the present subjunctive of the third person plural of the verb -ar |
| -eno | Coming from, relating to, or resembling |
| -eno | One of, belonging to, pertaining to or the like |
| - the neck | It is used to form adjectives and nouns denoting ethnonyms, such as American, from the United States |
| -in | Coming from, relating to, or resembling |
| -in | One of, belonging to, pertaining to or the like |
| -reward | A suffix indicating the future in the third person singular of the indicative -er verb |
| -is | Infinitive suffix for many verbs |
| -alder | feminin form in -ero |
| -ería | Characteristic of; -ery |
| -ería | It makes the noun a shop that sells such an item; -ery |
| - come on | A suffix indicating the future of the second person plural in the indicative of the verb -er |
| -ero | form professions from nouns |
| -ero | form places where the noun generally resides |
| -es | A suffix indicating the plural of nouns and adjectives ending in certain consonants (most often -l, -r, -n, -d, -z, -j, -s, -x, -ch, with some exceptions) |
| -es | A suffix indicating the second person singular of the present indicative for -er and -ir verbs |
| -es | A suffix indicating the present subjunctive of the second person singular of the verb -ar |
| -bait | Feminine form -esco which is a variant of -sco |
| -esco | Oblique is -sco |
| - I | feminine former i -ete |
| -ete | It is added to nouns and adjectives, often adding a diminutive meaning to the base |
| - Yes | sufiks koji tvori mnoga španjolska prezimena: Cortez, Enríquez, Godínez, Gómez, Gutiérrez, Hernández, Ibáñez, López, Ordóñez, Pérez, Ramírez, Rodríguez, Sánchez |
| - Yes | Suffix forming feminine nouns from nouns and adjectives denoting "state" (equivalent to English -hood, -ness, -ty) |
| -hans | They join adjectives to form abstract nouns of that quality |
| -ezna | feminine form i -ezno |
| -ezno | It is added to nouns for animals to form other nouns, often diminutive and denoting young |
| -after | A suffix indicating the second person plural of the present indicative for the verbs -er and -ir |
| -after | A suffix indicating the present subjunctive of the second person plural of the verb -ar |
| -I | Forms nouns and adjectives for nationality: |
| - it does | feminine form -phago |
| - profession | - profession |
| - I know | -fag |
| - I know | - phage |
| -fila | feminine form i -filo |
| -filo | -fil |
| -problem | -passe |
| -phobia | -phobia |
| - phone | -phone |
| -form | -shaped, -shape, -like |
| -geno | -gen |
| -geno | -genic |
| -spelling | -grave |
| - to count | -graf |
| - to count | - graphic artist |
| -gram | -gram |
| -u | The preterite verb form in the 1st person for verbs -er |
| -u | Suffixes denoting certain demonyms, especially from Arab and Indo-Iranian countries and regions, such as Iranian, Iraqi, Azeri, Moroccan, Penyabi and others |
| - had left | A suffix indicating the first person singular of the imperfect indicative -er and -ir verbs |
| - had left | A suffix indicating the imperfect of the third person singular in the indicative -er and -ir verbs |
| - Map | A suffix indicating the second person plural of the imperfect indicative -er and -ir verbs |
| -we walked | A suffix indicating the imperfect in the first person plural in -er and -ir verbs |
| - There is also | A suffix indicating the imperfect third person plural in -er and -ir verbs |
| - you went | A suffix indicating the second person singular of the imperfect indicative -er and -ir verbs |
| -io | A suffix indicating the indicative preterite of the third person singular of the verbs -er and -ir |
| -iano | -ian (all cases) |
| - iatris | - iatris |
| - iatris | - as well |
| -capable | |
| -ico | -ic; added to nouns to form adjectives |
| -ico | usually a pejorative diminutive suffix; added to nouns to form nouns |
| - of | the -tata form commonly used for adjectives of three or more syllables; Comparable to the English suffix -ity |
| -I do | A suffix indicating the past participle of regular -ir and -er verbs |
| - dry | Form in -dor attached to -ir of verb stems. Forms (usually agent) of nouns and adjectives |
| -ured | feminin form i -idor |
| - prayer | The -dura form is used with -ir verbs to form nouns |
| - ide | A suffix indicating the gerund of regular -er and -ir verbs |
| -iron | Suffixes indicating the indicative preterite of the third person plural of verbs -er and -ir |
| - perform | -ify, -fy, suffix to form verbs meaning to become, to become |
| -il | -ile (denotes a relationship or refers to) |
| - Bad | It is added to feminine nouns to indicate the diminutive |
| - to | It is added to masculine nouns to indicate the diminutive |
| -ment | alternativni oblik -mento |
| - Let's go | suffix indicating the first person plural of the present indicative -ir verb |
| - Let's go | A suffix indicating the past tense of the first person plural, indicative of -er and -ir verbs |
| -io | -ium |
| -I want to go | A suffix indicating the future in the third person singular of the indicative -ir verb |
| -I | Verb for infinitive |
| - you want to go | A suffix indicating the future in the second person plural of the indicative -ir verb |
| -ismo | -name |
| -anyone | It denotes a person engaged in the occupation of the noun root; Example: periódico periodista |
| -anyone | - the same; one who follows the principle. Example: optimist |
| - to wish | A suffix indicating the indicative preterite of the second person singular of the verbs -er and -ir |
| - isteis | A suffix indicating the preterite indicative of the second person plural of verbs -er and -ir |
| -ita | -ite |
| -ita | Substitute for "a" at the end of words and feminine names to indicate diminutive |
| -this | Forms the name of a salt derived from an acid (similar to -ate in English) |
| -this | It forms the names of minerals |
| -this | Replace the "o" at the end of words and masculine names to indicate the diminutive |
| -to | -itude, condition, is used to form a noun from an adjective |
| -ivo | -living |
| -bag | feminine former i -iso |
| -star | -ise/-ize |
| - to | Forms adjectives from other adjectives, nouns, and verbs that usually indicate similarity or likeness |
| -u | A suffix to form diminutive nouns, often one that already has a diminutive suffix |
| -much | It is added to adjectives to form an absolute superlative |
| -much | Added to adverbs to create superlatives (eg lejísimo and tardísimo) |
| -lito | -lit, -lit |
| -vin | -to lure, -ologize |
| -logo | -ologist (one who studies) |
| -mana | feminine form i -hand |
| -mani | -mani |
| -Advice | - mancy |
| - thousands | -mane, -maniak |
| -in | -wise, -ly, in a certain way; used to form adverbs from adjectives |
| -mento | formation of concrete nouns from verbs meaning 'result, product (process)' |
| - metric | - meter |
| -metro | -meter |
| - I'm lying down | -ment, formation of nouns from verbs with the meaning action or process |
| - sump | feminin form for -morpho |
| -morpho | -morph |
| -morpho | -morfan, -morfan |
| - Oh | A suffix indicating the indicative past tense of the third person singular of the verb |
| -from | the end of each chemical element belonging only to the group of noble gases, except helium (in Spanish helio) |
| -from | emphasizes contempt for the subject |
| -from | emphasizes that something is big, big, intense, important |
| -from | in a few cases it indicates that something is used incorrectly or often (formation of adjectives and/or nouns) |
| -from | forms a noun from another (usually larger) but related or similar noun |
| -from | in very few cases it indicates a small size or lack of something (such as an ironic enhancer) |
| -from | indicates that someone or something has great qualities or is larger than usual |
| -from | the end of most or every subatomic particle |
| -from | with a suffix to verbs, to do something more than once or often |
| - the the | - the the |
| -o | A suffix indicating the present indicative in the first person singular of the verb |
| - teacher, teacher, professor | -oid |
| - own | - own |
| - after that | feminin form i -on |
| - much | -ous, -y |
| -ota | feminin form i -ote |
| -note | emphasizes contempt for the subject |
| -note | emphasizes the size |
| - suffer | - suffer |
| - plastic | - plastic |
| - I can | - pod |
| -s | It is used to form the correct plural of nouns ending in vowels |
| -saurio | -saurus |
| -sca | feminine former i -sco |
| -sco | Forms adjectives that indicate "relationship" to the root of the word |
| - stingy | - stingy |
| -scopio | - extent |
| -sag | used for any collection |
| -sag | used for various Mexican or Central American ethnic groups |
| - technique | skill, technique |
| - therapy | It is used to form therapy names, many of which are two words in English |
| -toma | feminine form i -tomo |
| - Tommy | - on my |
| -tomo | -menu |
| - trophy | feminine form of -tropho |
| - trophy | - trophy |
| - trophy | -trophic, -trophic |
| -ear | feminine form i -učo |
| -ear | It is used to form pejoratives from nouns and adjectives |
| - you were beaming | A suffix added to a noun to form adjectives (which can also be used as nouns), to indicate that someone or something has qualities such as existence, abundance, or similarity, and sometimes to indicate habits or attitudes, similar to the English suffixes -y, -ous, -full: |
| - to | feminine form i -uelo |
| - welding | diminutive suffix for nouns |
| - welding | emphasizes contempt for the subject |
| -ura | joins adjectives to form abstract nouns |
| -xion | A suffix indicating a process, action or effect, like "-ction" in English, is used in a very rare group of Spanish words, namely: |
| - ide | -ing |
| -Zoo | - was |
List of all Spanish suffixes
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Suffixes that are similar in Spanish and English
Fortunately, there are many suffixes that do the same thing in Spanish and English. Which means you can instantly increase your vocabulary when you know that the following English suffixes can be adapted in Spanish as follows:
| English suffix | Spanish suffix |
| -gen | -geno |
| -short | -short |
| -ess | -in |
| -graf | - to count |
| -iano | -iano |
| - iatris | - iatris |
| -ium | -io |
| -windows | -vin |
| -ment | - I'm lying down |
| -ing | - ide |
| -grave | -spelling |
| - shake | - a coffin |
| -cidal | - person |
| -fil | -filo |
FAQs
How many suffixes are there in Spanish? ›
There are over 200 suffixes in Spanish, and it can take a while to learn how to use them properly.
What is the most common Spanish suffix? ›Knowing those vocabulary words and knowing the general meaning that the most common suffixes have can help learners deduct the meaning of new words, even if they've never heard of them before. We've talked about the most common suffix in Spanish, “ito” and its variations, in our post about diminutives.
How many common suffixes are there? ›Think of the 26 common suffixes that follow as clues to the meanings of words, however, bear in mind that the meanings of words are best determined by studying the contexts in which they are used as well as the construction of the words themselves.
What is the most common suffix list? ›The most common suffixes are: -tion, -ity, -er, -ness, -ism, -ment, -ant, -ship, -age, -ery.
What is the most common suffix? ›The most common suffixes are -s and -es, which mean more than one (or the plural) of the word.
What are the most common name suffixes? ›In the United States the most common name suffixes are senior and junior, which are abbreviated as Sr. and Jr. with initial capital letters, with or without preceding commas. In Britain these are rarer, but when they are used the abbreviations are Snr and Jnr, respectively.
What are the 6 suffixes? ›Some common examples of suffixes include -able, -al, er, est, ful and ible. All of these can be attached to the end of a root word to change it in some way.
How many total Spanish verbs are there? ›It's believed that there are about 20,000 verbs in the Spanish language, and 18,000 of them are regular verbs. Regular verbs in Spanish can be classified into three groups.
Does Spanish have prefixes and suffixes? ›Just like prefixes, Spanish suffixes are not words, since they cannot be used on their own. Instead, they must be added at the end of a base word, to which they grant different meanings. In this case, a suffix does not change a word entirely, but adapts it to an alternative use.
How many forms does Spanish have? ›The modern Spanish verb paradigm (conjugation) has 16 distinct complete forms (tenses), i.e. sets of forms for each combination of tense, mood and aspect, plus one incomplete tense (the imperative), as well as three non-temporal forms (the infinitive, gerund, and past participle).