The Spanish Adjective - Part 2
Comparison of Adjectives
The positive degree expresses the quality without any further idea of
comparison, as Feliz (happy), Rico (rich).
comparison, as Feliz (happy), Rico (rich).
| Comparative | Superlative Relative |
| Más feliz que (happier than) | El más feliz (the happiest) |
| Menos feliz que (less happy than) | El menos feliz (the least happy) |
| Tan rico como (as or so rich as) |
EXAMPLES
- Mi tío es más pobre que su hermano: My uncle is poorer than his brother.
- Su mujer es menos rica que él: His wife is less rich than he.
- Soy tan feliz como V.: I am as happy as you.
- No es tan amable como su primo: He is not so amiable as his cousin.
Superlative Absolute.
EXAMPLES
- Muy largo: Very long. Muy corto: Very short.
Another way to form the Superlative Absolute[1] is by adding ísimo
instead of using muy. If the adjective ends in a vowel, this is elided
before adding ísimo.
EXAMPLES
- Estas frutas son muy maduras: These fruits are very ripe.
- Estas frutas son madurísimas: These fruits are very ripe indeed.
- Estos tenderos son muy ricos: These shopkeepers are very rich.
- Aquellos son riquísimos: Those (others) are very rich indeed.
Before adding ísimo, adjectives ending in
ble change it into bil, as Amable, amabilísimo.
co change it into qu, as Rico, riquísimo.
go change it into gu, as Largo, larguísimo.
Adjectives of more than three syllables ending in ble, adjectives
ending in two vowels, or in one vowel accented, should always take muy
and not add ísimo for the Superlative Absolute.
Besides the regular forms of the Comparative and Superlative degrees,
there are the following irregular forms:
- Mejor (better)
- Óptimo (very good or best)
- Peor (worse)
- Pésimo (very bad or worst)
- Mayor (larger)
- Máximo (very large or largest)
- Menor (smaller)
- Mínimo (very small or smallest)
- Superior (higher)
- Supremo (very high or highest)
- Inferior (lower)
- Ínfimo (very low or lowest)
Footnote 1: More rarely used and much more emphatic.
Future Tense, Indic. Mood
| Hablar | Temer | Partir |
| Hablaré (I shall speak) | Temeré (I shall fear) | Partiré (I shall depart) |
| Hablarás (thou wilt speak) | Temerás (thou wilt fear) | Partirás (thou wilt depart) |
| Hablará (he/she will speak) | Temerá (he/she will fear) | Partirá (he/she will depart) |
| Hablaremos (we shall speak) | Temeremos (we shall fear) | Partiremos (we shall depart) |
| Hablaréis (you will speak) | Temeréis (you will fear) | Partiréis (you will depart) |
| Hablarán (they will speak) | Temerán (they will fear) | Partirán (they will depart) |
Conditional Mood
| Hablar | Temer | Partir |
| Hablaría (I should speak) | Temería (I should fear) | Partiría (I should depart) |
| Hablarías (thou wouldst speak) | Temerías (thou wouldst fear) | Partirías (thou wouldst depart) |
| Hablaría (he/she would speak) | Temería (he/she would fear) | Partiría (he/she would depart) |
| Hablaríamos (we should speak) | Temeríamos (we should fear) | Partiríamos (we should depart) |
| Hablaríais (you would speak) | Temeríais (you would fear) | Partiríais (you would depart) |
| Hablarían (they would speak) | Temerían (they would fear) | Partirían (they would depart) |
The Future Tense Indicative Mood and the Conditional
Mood are formed from the Infinitive Mood by adding to the Infinitive
the terminations: é, ás, á, emos, éis, án for the future; and ía,
ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían for the conditional mood.
Mood are formed from the Infinitive Mood by adding to the Infinitive
the terminations: é, ás, á, emos, éis, án for the future; and ía,
ías, ía, íamos, íais, ían for the conditional mood.
Category: Beginner Lessons