The Superlative

Expressing Extremes with the Superlative (-issimo)

In Italian, you can make adjectives much stronger by adding the ending -issimo. This is called the absolute superlative, and it translates to words like 'very', 'extremely', or 'super' in English.

How to Form It

To use -issimo, drop the final vowel of a standard adjective (like bello or caro) and add -issimo, -issima, -issimi, or -issime to match the gender and number of the noun.

• Masculine Singular: -issimo (es. caro → carissimo)
• Feminine Singular: -issima (es. stretta → strettissima)
• Masculine Plural: -issimi (es. grandi → grandissimi)
• Feminine Plural: -issime (es. costose → costosissime)

Common Mistakes

Don't forget to match the ending! If you are describing a feminine plural noun like le scarpe (the shoes), you must use -issime (le scarpe costosissime).