Examples of the use of Spanish diminutives

Diminutives in Spanish appear in all kinds of contexts from everyday conversations to literature. That's why we bring you several phrases with Spanish diminutives, so you can see how they are used and where in a sentence.

1. Mira que perrito tan bonito (Look at that cute little dog)
2. Voy a tomarme un cafecito antes de salir (I'm going to have a cup of coffee before going out)
3. Hola, mi amorcito, ¿cómo estás? (Hello, my love, how are you?)
4. Me encontré con un librito muy interesante (I came across a very interesting little book)
5. La callejuela estaba decorada con faroles antiguos (The alley was decorated with old lanterns)
6. ¿Puedes darme un panecillo para la merienda? (Can I have a muffin for a snack?)
7. Déjame echarle un ojillo a tu tarea (Let me take a look at your homework)
8. La camisa tiene una manica bordada con flores rojas (The shirt has a sleeve embroidered with red flowers)
9. ¿Me prestas tu ordenador un ratito? (Can I borrow your computer for a while?)
10. Siempre puedes contar con tu amiguete cuando lo necesitas (You can always count on your buddy when you need him)
11. Voy a hacer una comidita ligera para la cena (I'm going to make a light meal for dinner)
12. Después de la cena nos tomamos una copichuela en la terraza (After dinner we have a drink on the terrace)
13. Ese problema es un detallito, no te preocupes (That's a small problem, don't worry)
14. El gatito de mi amiga es muy travieso (My friend's kitty is very naughty)

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General rules for forming the diminutive in Spanish

In general, it is very easy to turn a Spanish word into a diminutive, you just must modify the ending and add the suffix. However, there are some grammatical rules that you should know before changing words to diminutives.

If the word ends in a vowel, you simply add the diminutive suffix. For example:

• Gato → Gatito (Cat)
• Mesa → Mesita (Table)
• Abuela → Abuelita (Grandma)
• Limón → Limoncito (Lemon)

If the word ends in a consonant a linking vowel is added before the suffix. For example:

• Amor → Amorcito (Love)
• Arroz → Arrocito (Rice)
• Calor → Calorcito (Heat)
• Nariz → Naricilla (Nose)

In very short words, the suffix is specially adapted to become diminutive:

• Pan → Panecito or Panecillo (Bread)
• Sol → Solecito (Sun)
• Flor → Florcita or Florecilla (Flower)

If you want to make diminutives of a Spanish word with diphthongs or hiatuses it is more complicated, but you can do it without any problem. In these cases, some words require adjustments to maintain the sonority. For example:

• Piedra → Piedrecita (Stone)
• Ruido → Ruidito (Noise)
• Aire → Airecillo (Air)

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Have you ever wondered how to form diminutives in Spanish? If the answer is yes, in this donQuijote article you’ll learn the keys to master this technique in Spanish.

The Spanish diminutive is one of the most useful and easy-to-use tools in the Spanish language. It is used to express smallness, affection, sympathy or even to soften an idea. So, as a student of Spanish, mastering the diminutive can be a fun way to enrich your knowledge and vocabulary, as well as bring you closer to a more natural and colloquial use of the language.

Venture into the language and sign up to learn Spanish in Spain with us, let's explore how diminutives work in Spanish!

Although if you prefer, you can change the language of this article to Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

What is a Spanish diminutive?

If you remember our post about Spanish prefixes and suffixes, you may have guessed that a diminutive in Spanish is a suffix that is added to a word to modify its meaning. Usually, Spanish diminutives indicate smallness, but they can also convey affection, kindness, respect or even an ironic tone, depending on the context.

Here are some of the simplest diminutives in Spanish:

• Casa → Casita (House)
• Flor → Florecita (Flower)
• Mano → Manita (Hand)
• Árbol → Arbolito (Tree)

As you have seen, in Spanish the most common suffixes to form the diminutive are -ito / -ita. These diminutives are used in much of the Spanish-speaking world and are the most frequent. More examples: Libro → Librito (book) or Perro → Perrito (dog).

Another very common diminutive in Spanish is -illo / -illa. It is used mostly in some regions of Spain and Latin America and sometimes has a slightly derogatory or humorous nuance. For example: Pan → Panecillo (bread) or Chico → Chiquillo (boy).

We continue with -ico / -ica. This diminutive is widely used in certain areas of Spain, especially in Aragon, and in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and Costa Rica. Some examples are: Pequeño → Pequeñico (boy) or Mano → Manica (hand).

The diminutive -ete / -eta is used less frequently, but you may hear it in some informal contexts. Usually, this diminutive forms words of affective or derogatory value. Examples: Amigo → Amiguete (friend) or Melón → Meloncete (melon).

This diminutive is even less common than the previous one, but it is good to keep in mind since it is often used in colloquial and informal language: -uelo / -uela. It can also give a diminutive or affective feeling. Example: Copa → Copichuela, Joven → Jovenzuelo or Calle → Callejuela.

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Spanish diminutives: how to use them and examples Spanish diminutives. Discover with donQuijote what Spanish diminutives are, how to use them and practical examples with real Spanish diminutive phrases. Grammar Spanish diminutives. Discover with donQuijote what Spanish diminutives are, how to use them and practical examples with real Spanish diminutive phrases. diminutive, spanish diminutive, diminutive in spanish Off Marta Díaz

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If you want to practice finding the differences and learn to identify the Spanish direct and indirect objects, you can do it with the examples above. Also, you can use the trick of substituting for pronouns and find out what type of complement it is.

In the sentences you will see below, you will find some examples above with the substituted pronouns and with the questions to the verb.

• Yo compré una casa -> Yo la compré (¿Qué compré?) -- (I bought it. What did I buy?)
• Le expliqué la lección a los estudiantes -> Les expliqué la lección (¿A quién expliqué la lección?) – (I explained the lesson to them. To whom did I explain the lesson?)
• Juan pintó un cuadro hermoso - > Juan lo pintó (¿Qué pintó Juan?) – (Juan painted it. What did Juan paint?)
• Preparé un café para mi padre -> Le preparé un café (¿Para quién preparé un café?) – (I prepared a coffee for him. Who did I prepare a coffee for?)
• Vimos una película en el cine ayer -> La vimos en el cine ayer (¿Qué vimos en el cine ayer?) – (We saw it at the cinema yesterday. What did we see at the cinema yesterday?)
• Conté una historia a los niños -> Les conté una historia (¿A quién conté una historia?) – (I told them a story. To whom did I tell a story?)

As you may have seen, in some of the previous sentences there are two objects, one direct and one indirect, and in all cases, both can be substituted at the same time. For example: “Conté una historia a los niños” (I told a story to the children) - > Se la conté (I told it to them). In this case, the Spanish indirect object “a los niños” becomes “se”, while the Spanish direct object “una historia” becomes “la”.

Although you may think it is complicated, with a little practice you will be able to differentiate the Spanish direct object pronouns from the indirect one without any problems. And if you have more doubts, you can consult with a qualified teacher in one of our Spanish courses. Come and live a unique and unforgettable experience with donQuijote while you learn Spanish in Spain and master the identification of complements in Spanish.

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Examples of Spanish direct object

Here are some examples of sentences with Spanish direct object:

• Compré una casa (I bought a house)
• Leí un libro interesante (I read an interesting book)
• Juan pintó un cuadro hermoso (Juan painted a beautiful painting)
• Vimos una película en el cine ayer (We saw a movie at the cinema yesterday)
• Rompí un plato por accidente (I broke a plate by accident)
• Estudié matemáticas toda la tarde (I studied mathematics all afternoon)
• Limpiaron la cocina después de la cena (Cleaned the kitchen after dinner)
• Escribí un poema para mi abuela (I wrote a poem for my grandmother)
• Cocinamos una pizza para la fiesta (We cooked a pizza for the party)
• Bebimos agua después de correr (Drank water after a run)

Examples of Spanish indirect object

Here are some examples of sentences with Spanish indirect objects:

• Escribí una carta a mi amiga (I wrote a letter to my friend)
• Pedro regaló flores a su madre (Pedro gave flowers to his mother)
• Le expliqué la lección a los estudiantes (I explained the lesson to the students)
• Preparé un café para mi padre (I made coffee for my father)
• Conté una historia a los niños (I told a story to the children)
• Siempre digo la verdad a mis padres (I always tell the truth to my parents)
• Le enviaron un paquete a María (Sent a package to Maria)
• Pedimos ayuda al profesor (We asked the teacher for help)
• Mostré las fotos a mis amigos (I showed the pictures to my friends)
• Compré regalos para mi sobrino (I bought presents for my nephew)

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