Though they are common especially with diminutives, the frequency of what such class of words they use depends on the region and personal preference between a community (between friends, family members, professionals, etc) of speakers. The idea of smaller or greater size is conveyed neatly, without the need of a qualifying adjective!
Spanish speakers of all ages use diminutives and augmentatives profusely, especially in popular speech, when talking to young and old alike. Besides conveying idea of size, dimunitives and augmentatives also show emotion or expression (such as affection, sympathey) and used to intensify the feeling of the world.
Theses suffixes are added to nouns, adjectives, and (only diminutives) adverbs. Here are some examples:
- *se dio una ofertón
- Era un joven delgaducho
- Tiene un perro grandote
- Habla bajito
- Lo hizo rapidito
Here are the ways of forming these suffixes:
- By dropping the vowel at the end of the world and adding the suffix: mesa > mes-ita.
- Adding the suffixes produces orthographic changes such as: lápiz > lapicito, lago > laguito, chico > chiquitín.
- Inserting one or more letters between the word and the suffix: pez > pec-ec-ito, pan > pan-ec-illo
NOTE: NOT ALL WORDS can be added with these suffixes and no exact rules exist regarding this. The best way to learn is by observation.
DIMINUTIVES
1. The diminutive suffix most common is -ito/ita: banderita, florecitas, perritos.
In some parts of Spain and in Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, DR, and Venezuela they prefer to use -ico/ica when they is a "t" in the previous syllable: gato > gatico, libreta > libretica, momento > momentico. Did you know that Costa Ricans are called TICOS because they use this suffix a lot?!
Mutli-syllable words ending in -n, -r, or -é are usually proceded by -c:
montón >>> montoncito
mujer >>> mujercito
café >>> cafecito
Single-syllable words are usually proceded by -ec:
flor >>> florecita
pan >>> panecillo
pez >>> pececito
sol >>> solecito
Other preferred diminutives in some regions are:
-illo/illa >>> chiquilla, vaquilla
-ín/ina >>> pequeñín, pillín
-ete/eta >>> camiseta
- uello/a >>> callejuella (alley)
2. Besides indication of SMALL, diminutives can be used to express AFFECT, SYMPATHY, and other seniments/feelings and to intensify the feeling of the word. Here are examples:
- La casita donde crecí > a reminder of affection and nostalgia
- Don Quijote in front of lions: ¡Leoncitos a mí! > indicating that they were a insignificant danger for a courageous gentleman like him
The diminutive can be expressed in irony: ¡Qué viajecito! (What a lousy trip!)
Many nicknames are formed with diminutive suffixes like Luis > Luisito, Jorge > Jorgito, Marta > Martica, Miguel > Miguelín
It is very common to use diminutives to speak with children:
- Dame un besito
- Tómate tu lechita
- Estate tranquilito
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Also, diminutives are used a lot in daily life of offering drinks or food to someone: ¿Quieres un traguito (drink) / un cafecito / un juguito / una sopita? This is a way to express as to promote an appetizer as well as to convince the other person so that they accept the offer.
Animals:
- La gata tuvo cuatro gatitos (The cat had 4 kittens)
- Me regalaron un perrito de 6 semanas (They gave me a 6-week old puppy for gift)
- La leon juega con su leoncito (The lions plays with his cub/cubby)
- La mona carga a su monito (The monkey takes her little monkey/teddy bear)
- La leon juega con su chachorrito (The lion plays with her cub/cubby)
3. Some words change the meaning when diminutives are added:
- boca > boquete (hole, narrow entrance), botica (drugstore
- cabeza > cabecilla (leader of a revolt or gang)
- cama > camilla (stretcher)
- carro > carreta (wagon), carretilla (wheelbarrow)
- maleta > maletín (overnight bag, briefcase)
- peine > peineta (comb used as a hair ornament)
- pera > perilla (doorknob)
- ventana > ventanilla (car window, teller's window)
AUGMENTATIVES
1. They are used less often than diminutives. They indicate large size or intensity, but can be used to express other ideas (such as affection). Casona can be meant as an unique house in a neighborhood for example. Here, this augmentative not only indicates big size but also as an impresive, shadowy, and old house.
2. The most common augmentative suffixes are:
- ón/ona: mujer > mujerona, rico > ricachón, voz > vozarrón, bigote > bigotón
- azo/aza: bigote > bigotazo, perro > perrazo
- ote/ota: perro > perrote, grande > grandote
3. Some feminine names/word that become masculine change the meaning when the augmentative suffix is added:
- la caja > el cajón (crate, drawer)
- la calle > el callejón (alley)
- la cama > el camarote (cabin in a ship)
- la camisa > el camisón (nightgown)
- la cocha (bedspread) > el cochón (mattress)
- la cuchara > el cucharón (laddle)
- la isla > el islote (key, [small island])
- la jarra (pitcher) > el jarrón (large vase)
- la puerta > el portón (front gate)
- la rata (rate) > el ratón (mouse)
- la silla > la sillón (armchair)
- la tabla (board) > el tablón (wooden plank)
- la taza (rate) > el tazón (bowl)
- la tela (cloth) > el telón (theater curtain)
DESPECTIVOS
They express little appreciation for something/someone that is mentioned. The suffix most mentioned is -ucho/ucha, but there are other uses like -uco/uca and -ejo/eja:
- tienducha (dingy store)
- casuca (shack)
- viejuco (annoying old man)
- caballejo (nag)
Sometimes augmentatives and perjoratives can have a derogaory feeling:
- Un bravucón (a bully)
- Una mujerona (a rude, unpleasant women)
- Palabrotas (bad words)
- Un hombrecillo (an insignificant guy)
Sources:
Dominics and Reynolds. Repase y escriba: curso avanzado de gramática y composición
Dominics and Reynolds. Repase y escriba: curso avanzado de gramática y composición
Munoz y Thacker. A Spanish Learning Grammar (175-176)
