Colloquial Intensifiers: re- and súper-
When you want to say something is "very" or "extremely" in Spanish, the standard word is muy. But in everyday, casual conversations across Latin America, speakers love to exaggerate using the colloquial intensifiers súper and re-.
Using súper
Just like in English, you can use súper before an adjective to emphasize it. In casual writing, you will frequently see it written as a separate word with an accent mark.
| The man says that that comedian is super funny. | El hombre dice que ese comediante es súper chistoso. |
| The new seller is super friendly with the clients. | El vendedor nuevo es súper amigable con los clientes. |
Using re-
The prefix re- is another incredibly common way to say "super" or "extremely" (especially in Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia). Unlike súper, re- is firmly attached directly to the beginning of the adjective.
| That painting is super ugly, I am not showing it to him. | Ese cuadro es refeo, no se lo muestro. |
| The chicken is super delicious. I recommend it to you. | El pollo está redelicioso. Se lo recomiendo. |
Which one should you use?
Both re- and súper serve the same purpose. You can use them interchangeably depending on local slang or personal preference.
Notice how both can be used to emphasize that something is incredibly entertaining:
| The novel is super entertaining. | La novela es súper entretenida. |
| The game is super entertaining. We love it. | El juego es reentretenido. Nos encanta. |