The Portuguese -Íssimo Ending: Say ‘Very’ with Emphasis — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use -íssimo to intensify an adjective
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.
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.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| 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.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| 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. |
Remember: 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.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
The room was extremely clean.
Show a Portuguese answer
O quarto estava limpíssimo.
The presentation was extremely interesting.
Show a Portuguese answer
A apresentação foi interessantíssima.
Those suitcases are extremely heavy.
Show a Portuguese answer
Essas malas são pesadíssimas.
The restaurant is very good—in fact, it’s excellent.
Show a Portuguese answer
O restaurante é muito bom — na verdade, é ótimo.
The view from here is beautiful.
Show a Portuguese answer
A vista daqui é belíssima.
It was a very long meeting.
Show a Portuguese answer
Foi uma reunião muito longa.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
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.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our The Portuguese -Íssimo Ending: Say ‘Very’ with Emphasis lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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