The Portuguese -Íssimo Ending: Say ‘Very’ with Emphasis
A form such as rapidíssimo means ‘extremely fast’; the ending agrees with the adjective’s gender and number.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
The ending -íssimo/-íssima can express a very high degree: rápido becomes rapidíssimo, and bonita becomes bonitíssima. The ending agrees with the noun just as the base adjective does: livros caríssimos, uma rua movimentadíssima.
Use -íssimo to intensify an adjective
Portuguese spelling changes can occur when the ending is added. Fácil becomes facílimo/facílima, and feliz becomes felicíssimo/felicíssima. If you are unsure of a less common form, muito + adjective is a clear alternative and is useful in every register.
O quarto estava limpíssimo.
The room was extremely clean.
A apresentação foi interessantíssima.
The presentation was extremely interesting.
Essas malas são pesadíssimas.
Those suitcases are extremely heavy.
Choose the level of emphasis that fits the moment
Muito + adjective is the everyday, flexible way to say ‘very’: muito bonito, muito caro. The -íssimo form can sound emphatic, expressive, or playful, and it is more noticeable in conversation. Neither form changes the basic adjective agreement rule.
A few high-frequency adjectives have irregular or established intensive forms, such as bom → ótimo and mau → péssimo. Learn these separately rather than applying -íssimo to every adjective.
O restaurante é muito bom — na verdade, é ótimo.
The restaurant is very good—in fact, it’s excellent.
A vista daqui é belíssima.
The view from here is beautiful.
Foi uma reunião muito longa.
It was a very long meeting.
Put it into practice
Use muito + adjective for a versatile ‘very.’ Use -íssimo/-íssima for stronger emphasis, and keep the ending matched to the noun’s gender and number.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “It was a very long meeting”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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