Spanish suffixes

dad / tad

ty / ness

• forms abstract nouns

• e.g. felicidad

ción / sción

tion / sion

• creates action or effect

• e.g. educación, decisión

ista

ist

• someone who practices something / follower of an idea

• e.g. pianista, artista, comunista, anarchista

ero /era

er /or / ist

• occupation / person associated

• e.g. panadero, camarera

or / ora

or / er

• agent noun / doer

• actor / profesor

ario / aria

ary / er

• role or function

• e.g. secretario, bibliotecaria

eza

ness / dom

• forms a quality or a state

• e.g. tristeza, belleza

aje

age

• collection, group or action

• equipaje (luggage)

ez / eza

ness

• forms abstract noun

• e.g. niñez (childhood)

oso / osa

ous

• full of…

• e.g. peligroso, maravillosa

al

al

• relating to

  • cultural, personal

ico / ica

ic

• related to

• histórico / artística

ivo / iva

ive

• inclined to / nature of

• e.g. creativo, impulsiva

ente / ante

ent / ant

• doing an action

• e.g interesante, persistente

il

ile

• capable of

• e.g. fácil, sutil

-ito / -ita

-y / -ie / -let

• diminuitive (smaller, cuter)

• e.g. casita, perrito

-ón / -ona

no direct translation

• augmentative (bigger, stronger)

• e.g. mujerona

-mente

-ly

• turns adjectives into adverbs

• e.g. rápidamente

-ear

-ify /-ate / no direct translation

• to do (from nouns or adjectives)

• e.g. parquear

-ecer

-en

• to become

• e.g. enriquecer

-izar

-ize

• to make or become

• e.g. organizar