Quick answer
un momentito · el perrito · ahorita
-ito and -ita added to nouns, adjectives and even adverbs. They soften far more often than they shrink.
How to attach it
| Word ends in | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -o / -a | drop it, add -ito / -ita | libro → librito |
| -e, -n, -r | -cito / -cita | coche → cochecito |
| stressed vowel | -cito | café → cafecito |
| one syllable ending in consonant | -ecito | pan → panecito |
| -co / -ca | spelling to -quito | chico → chiquito |
| -go / -ga | spelling to -guito | amigo → amiguito |
The gender never changes: la mano → la manita, el problema → el problemita.
What it actually communicates
Size is only one of the jobs. More often it marks affection, politeness or a softened request.
Regional habits differ a lot: -illo is common in Andalusia, -ico in Aragón, and ahorita in Mexico.
Some have become their own words
A few diminutives have hardened into fixed vocabulary and no longer feel small at all.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bocadillo | sandwich |
| bolsillo | |
| cerillo / cerilla | match |
| tortilla | omelette, flatbread |
| ventanilla | counter window, car window |
The opposite direction exists too: -ote and -ón make things bigger, as in grandote or un librón.
Memory trick
Treat -ito as a tone marker, not a size marker. It usually means the speaker is being warm or careful, not describing something small.
Typical mistakes
Espera un pequeño momento.
Espera un momentito.
Grammatically possible but it sounds translated. Spanish softens with the diminutive.
un chicito
un chiquito
Before -ito the c becomes qu so the hard sound survives.
la manito
la manita
Mano is feminine, and the diminutive keeps the gender of the original noun.
Check yourself
¿Me das un ___, por favor? (momento)