Introduction
“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 sounds clever, interesting. It is used a lot by politicians and well educated people. I wouldn’t use it with friends in an informal situation, but save it for other occasions.
Sumamente importante (Extremely important).
Bastante (Quite)
Bastante interesante (Quite interesting). ‘Bastante’ has a little less intensity than ‘muy’, like ‘quite’ versus ‘very’. It adds an interesting touch.
Bastante grande (Quite big).
Súper (Super)
We use it a lot with friends, especially young people.
Súper interesante (Super interesting).
Súper alto (Super tall).
Híper (Hyper)
Exactly the same as ‘súper’.
Híper interesante (Hyper interesting). Híper cansada (Hyper tired).
Demasiado (Too)
Demasiado interesante (Too interesting). This one adds more intensity. It is more than ‘muy’. It is too much of something.
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).
If this is too difficult, you should download our Free Study Guide, which will guide you step by step in your Spanish learning.
And as the last word of this block, we have a prefix:
Requete-
In Latin America they use just ‘Re’ but as a separate word.
Requetebien (Very good).
Re bien (Very good).
Requeteinteresante (Very interesting).
Re interesante (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
So another way of amplifying an adjective in Spanish is adding -ísimo or -ísima at the end of it.
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?
“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
c. Genial
Answer: b. Enorme
2. Esta pregunta es muy fácil (This question is very easy). How would you make the superlative of fácil?
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 3 words you can interchange with “muy.”
If you said any of these words, you are totally correct!
Bastante - Súper - Híper - Sumamente - Demasiado - Realmente - Extremadamente - Altamente - Re - Requete
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
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
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.
