Spanish: An Essential Grammar

When the addition of a suffix removes the stress in a word away from a

previously stressed ieor ue, these syllables frequently (but not always)

revert to eand o, e.g. calientebut calentito, puertabut portezuela.

Suffixes forming abstract nouns

A number of suffixes create abstract nouns that are feminine in gender.

Some such as -ancia, -dad, -dumbre, -encia, -ez, -eza, and -uratypically

transform adjectives, whereas -anzachanges verbs into abstract nouns.

Usually the base word is slightly modified before these suffixes are added.

For example, the final vowel may be changed or removed.

Base word Suffix New Word

arrogante arrogant -ancia arrogancia arrogance

curioso curious -dad curiosidad curiosity

manso gentle -dumbre mansedumbre gentleness

inocente innocent -encia inocencia innocence

rígido rigid -ez rigidez rigidity

limpio clean -eza limpieza cleanliness

largo long -ura largura length

desconfiar distrust -anza desconfianza mistrust

Note: -uraalso forms words translated into English with the suffix ‘-ure’, e.g. super-

estructura, arquitectura.

Suffixes that indicate places

The forms -aland -ar denote a grouping or abundance of whatever the

base noun denotes, or the place where this is found. These suffixes are

frequently applied to names of plants and trees:

chaparro dwarf oak chaparral dwarf oak thicket

pino pine tree pinar pine grove

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