STOP using MUY for everything
Stop overusing “muy”! Discover alternative ways to express yourself in Spanish and impress native speakers. By the end of this guide, you’ll enrich your vocabulary—and there’s a fun quiz waiting for you at the end. ¡Vamos!
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IntroductionSYNONYMSSumamente (Highly, extremely)Bastante (Quite)Super- (Super)Hiper- (Hyper)Demasiado (Too)Realmente (Really)Increíblemente (Incredibly)Altamente (Highly)And as the last word of this block, we have a prefix:Requete-SUPERLATIVESHow would you say ‘very interesting’ using the superlative in Spanish?ADVANCED VOCABULARYQuizConclusionIntroduction
“Muy grande. Muy guapo. Muy alto.” Can you think of an alternative for “muy” in Spanish? If you can’t, don’t worry, this article is perfect for you. By the end of it, you will have enriched your vocabulary and native speakers will be impressed when you talk. Read till the end because I have prepared a fantastic quiz for you to practice what you learned. ¡Vamos!
SYNONYMS
First, let’s explore some synonyms of ‘muy’ that you can use right away. Instead of saying ‘muy interesante’, how about ‘sumamente interesante’?
Sumamente (Highly, extremely)
Sumamente means “extremely.” It often suits formal contexts, though you may also hear it in everyday conversation.
Sumamente importante (Extremely important).
Bastante (Quite)
Bastante interesante (Quite interesting). ‘Bastante’ often expresses a little less intensity than ‘muy’, like ‘quite’ versus ‘very’, but its force depends on context and variety; it can also indicate a high degree.
Bastante grande (Quite big).
Super- (Super)
The prefix super- is common in informal speech. Write it without an accent and join it to a single-word adjective.
Superinteresante (Very interesting).
Superalto (Very tall).
Hiper- (Hyper)
The prefix hiper- also intensifies an adjective. Like super-, it has no accent and joins directly to a single-word adjective.
Hiperinteresante (Extremely interesting). Hipercansada (Extremely tired).
Demasiado (Too)
Demasiado interesante (Too interesting). Unlike muy, demasiado normally suggests excess: more than is wanted or appropriate. It is not an interchangeable synonym for “very.”
Demasiado frío (Too cold).
Demasiado guapa (Too beautiful).
Demasiado bueno para ser cierto (Too good to be true).
You have to be careful with this one, because here it is an adverb but we can see it used as an adjective as well, changing gender and number.
Demasiado + adjective = adverb.
Demasiado + noun = adjective.
Demasiada comida (Too much food).
Demasiadas personas (Too many people)
Realmente (Really)
How do you say ‘Really interesting’? Realmente interesante (Really interesting), very good!
‘Extremadamente’ (Extremely).
Extremadamente interesante (Extremely interesting).
Extremadamente importante (Extremely important).
This one adds intensity too.
Increíblemente (Incredibly)
Increíblemente interesante (Incredibly interesting).
Increíblemente fácil (Incredibly easy).
Altamente (Highly)
Altamente interesante (Highly interesting).
You will see it a lot in ‘Altamente recomendado’ (Highly recommended) and ‘Altamente sensible’ (Highly sensitive).
And as the last word of this block, we have a prefix:
Requete-
The informal intensifying prefix re- is especially common in parts of Latin America. In standard spelling, both re- and requete- join directly to a single-word base.
Requetebién (Very well).
Rebién (Very well).
Requeteinteresante (Very interesting).
Reinteresante (Very interesting).
Start mixing these into your conversations and watch the reactions you get. Tell me how it went.
But that was just the beginning. Hold tight, because next, we’re moving into the world of superlatives, which can amplify your Spanish descriptions. Plus, don’t miss our quiz coming up!
SUPERLATIVES
Another way to intensify many adjectives is with -ísimo or -ísima. Usually, a final vowel is dropped first: alto becomes altísimo. Some adjectives also need spelling or stem changes.
Guapo (Handsome) – Guapísimo (Very handsome)
Guapa (Beautiful) – Guapísima (Very beautiful)
Alto (Tall, high) – Altísimo (Very tall/high)
Pequeña (Small) – Pequeñísima (Very small)
How would you say ‘very interesting’ using the superlative in Spanish?
Click to reveal the correct answer:
“Interesantísimo”. Great!
Those were nice upgrades, right? Well, a game-changer is coming! We’re about to boost your vocabulary. These words are fantastic if you want to make an impact. Instead of saying ‘muy bueno’, elevate it to ‘excelente’. Or turn ‘muy malo’ into ‘pésimo’ or ‘horrible’. This makes your Spanish advanced.
ADVANCED VOCABULARY
Instead of ‘Muy grande’ (Very big) you can use ‘Gigante’ or ‘Enorme’ (Giant, enormous)
Ana vive en una casa gigante (Ana lives in an enormous house)
Muy pequeño (Very small) = Diminuto, enano (Tiny)
Mi coche es diminuto (My car is tiny)
Muy bonito (Very pretty) = Precioso (Gorgeous)
Las rosas son preciosas (Roses are gorgeous)
Muy feo (Very ugly) = Horroroso, horrendo (Horrendous)
Tu hijo ha hecho un dibujo horroroso (Your son made a horrendous drawing)
Muy rico (Very yummy) = Delicioso (Delicious)
La paella está deliciosa (The paella is delicious)
Muy feliz, contento (Very happy) = Eufórico (Euphoric)
Mario está eufórico porque ha aprobado (Mario is euphoric because he passed)
Muy limpio (Very clean) = Impecable (Spotless)
El baño está impecable (The bathroom is spotless)
Muy sucio (Very dirty) = Mugriento, asqueroso (Filthy, disgusting)
El cuarto de Samuel está asqueroso (Samuel’s room is filthy)
Muy enfadado (Very angry) = Furioso (Furious)
Estoy furiosa por lo que me ha dicho mi hermana (I’m furious about what my sister told me)
Muy cansado (Very tired) = Agotado (Exhausted)
Hemos andado demasiado, estoy agotada (We walked too much, I’m exhausted)
Lastly, I want to share with you some different options for ‘muy bueno’, because there are a lot.
Muy bueno (Very good) = Estupendo, maravilloso, genial, fantástico, espectacular, magnífico, excelente.
Ayer fue un día estupendo/maravilloso/genial/fantástico/espectacular/magnífico/excelente.
Quiz
Quiz time! Let’s practice what we learned today. Just 5 questions.
1. Quiero vivir en una casa muy grande (I want to live in a very big house). What word can we use instead of “muy grande”?
a. Diminuta
b. Enorme
c. Impecable
d. Genial
Click to reveal the correct answer:
Answer: b. Enorme
2. Esta pregunta es muy fácil (This question is very easy). How would you make the superlative of fácil?
Click to reveal the correct answer:
Answer: Facilísima. Esta pregunta es facilísima. “Pregunta” is feminine, so it is facilísima. Facilísimo would be for masculine nouns.
3. Pablo es muy tímido (Pablo is very shy). Name three adverbs or prefixes that can intensify tímido without suggesting excess.
Click to reveal the correct answer:
Possible answers include:
Sumamente tímido, realmente tímido, extremadamente tímido, supertímido, hipertímido, retímido, requetetímido. The prefixes are informal. Bastante means “quite,” and demasiado means “too,” so they change the meaning.
4. Tus ojos son muy bonitos (Your eyes are very beautiful). What word can we use instead of “muy bonitos”?
a. Horrorosos
b. Eufóricos
c. Deliciosos
d. Preciosos
Click to reveal the correct answer:
Answer: d. Preciosos
5. Estoy muy enfadada contigo (I am very angry at you). What word can you use instead of “muy enfadada”?
a. Furiosa
b. Mugrienta
c. Horrenda
d. Maravillosa
Click to reveal the correct answer:
Answer: a. Furiosa
Conclusion
Great job!
But let me ask you one more thing… is it ‘Es malo’ or ‘Está malo’? I’m going to explain the difference between ser and estar in a way you won’t forget. Click here to learn it.
