Italiano — Absolute superlative
The absolute superlative expresses a very high degree of a quality with no comparison. Italian usually forms it by adding -issimo to the adjective (bellissimo), but also with molto and, for some words, the endings -errimo and the prefixes stra- and arci-.
How it works
Drop the final vowel of the adjective and add -issimo/-a/-i/-e, agreeing in gender and number: bello → bellissimo, ricco → ricchissimo (the h keeps the hard sound). The analytic form molto + adjective (molto bello) means the same thing. A few learned adjectives take -errimo (celebre → celeberrimo), and the prefixes stra- and arci- intensify further: straricco, arcinoto.
Examples
| Base → superlative | Type / meaning |
|---|---|
| bello → bellissimo | -issimo (default): very beautiful |
| ricco → ricchissimo | -issimo with h kept: very rich |
| bello → molto bello | analytic form with molto: very beautiful |
| celebre → celeberrimo | learned -errimo ending: very famous |
| ricco → straricco | prefix stra-: extremely rich |
| noto → arcinoto | prefix arci-: very well known |
Good to know
Don't stack intensifiers: say molto bello or bellissimo, never molto bellissimo. The -errimo and stra-/arci- forms are limited to fixed words (celeberrimo, straricco, arcinoto) — you cannot form them freely from any adjective. Adjectives in -io keep a single i: serio → serissimo (not seriissimo).