¡habla bajito! speak quite low!
ahora mismito right now
cerquita quite close
ayercito just yesterday
tempranito nice and early
un poquito a little bit
The several forms of -illo are used above all simply to make smaller what-
ever they are attached to, often without expressing any emotion, feeling or
evaluation. This may be smallness not simply in respect of size, but an
expression of lesser importance or of insignificance. In many cases the addi-
tion of this suffix has resulted in a change in the meaning of the original
word. The -illoforms are especially common in parts of Andalusia:
ensalada salad ensaladilla potato salad
ventana window ventanilla window in a vehicle/ticket office
boca mouth boquilla mouthpiece/nozzle
mano hand manecilla pointer/hand on a clock
The several forms of -uelocan express smallness or insignificance but are
often pejorative. They are generally only used with nouns:
paño cloth pañuelo handkerchief
joven young person jovenzuelo youth
pintor painter pintorzuelo second-rate painter
Between very close acquaintances or members of a family they may be used
mockingly rather than seriously.
(b) Other forms of diminutive suffixes
Some diminutive suffixes are mainly regional in their use: -ín is Asturian,
-ino/a is Estremaduran and -iño/ais Galician.
When used more widely in the Spanish-speaking world they can indicate
smallness and affection, but they may also modify the meaning of the base
word.
The form -ínchanges the gender of feminine nouns to masculine.
calabaza pumpkin calabacín courgette/zucchini
langosta lobster langostín, langostinoking prawn
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Suffixes
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