Just like diminutives, augmentatives have different uses and there are several augmentative endings. These often convert everyday words into local slang. The most common Spanish Suffixes are: ón/ona, ozo/oza, and ote/ota.
In Spanish, augmentatives are used to express large size or great intensity
Examples:
Grande – big | Grandote – huge |
Perro – dog | Perrote – big dog |
Beso – kiss | Besote – big kiss |
You’ll often hear augmentatives in Spanish when people are very excited about something, especially when telling stories and wanting to exaggerate size, intensity, enthusiasm, etc. A classic Latin American example is:
Gol – a goal, in soccer | Golazo – an amazing soccer goal |
There are some words that change meanings when an augmentative is used. Here are a few examples:
Caja – box | Cajón – drawer |
Calle – street | Callejón – alley |
Colcha – bedspread | Colchón – mattress |
Rata – rat | Ratón – mouse |
Cuchara – spoon | Cucharón – ladle |
Silla – chair | Sillón – armchair |
Can you think of any other augmentatives in Spanish or augmentative pairs?
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