demasiado

/de-ma-sya-do/

too

A steaming coffee cup that is clearly too hot to drink, with intense heat visibly radiating from the liquid.

When used as an adverb, 'demasiado' means 'too' or 'too much,' describing a quality (like being too hot) or an action.

demasiado(Adverb)

too?Describing a quality, e.g., 'too big', 'too fast'

Also:too much?Describing an action, e.g., 'you talk too much'

📝 In Action

Este café está demasiado caliente.

This coffee is too hot.

Hablas demasiado rápido para mí.

You speak too fast for me.

No trabajes demasiado, necesitas descansar.

Don't work too much, you need to rest.

Word Connections

Synonyms

excesivamente (excessively)

Antonyms

poco (little, not much)

Common Collocations

demasiado tarde – too late
demasiado caro – too expensive
demasiado bueno para ser verdad – too good to be true

💡 Grammar Points

The Form That Never Changes

When 'demasiado' means 'too' and describes a quality (like 'hot', 'fast', 'expensive') or an action (like 'work', 'talk'), it ALWAYS stays 'demasiado'. It never changes to 'demasiada' or 'demasiados'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Making it Match When it Shouldn't

Mistake: "La sopa está demasiada caliente."

Correction: La sopa está demasiado caliente. Why? Because you're describing 'caliente' (hot), not the soup itself. The word describing a quality doesn't change.

⭐ Usage Tips

More Than Just 'Very'

'Demasiado' isn't just a stronger version of 'muy' (very). It implies a negative result. 'Muy caliente' means 'very hot', but 'demasiado caliente' means 'it's so hot I can't drink it'.

A small bookshelf completely overloaded and obscured by a massive, colorful pile of books that are spilling onto the floor.

When used as an adjective or pronoun, 'demasiado' (which changes form to 'demasiados' or 'demasiadas') means 'too much' or 'too many' items.

demasiado(Adjective / Pronoun)

too much?With things you can't count, e.g., 'too much water',too many?With things you can count, e.g., 'too many books'

📝 In Action

Hay demasiada gente en esta tienda.

There are too many people in this store.

Compraste demasiados zapatos.

You bought too many shoes.

No le pongas demasiado azúcar al café.

Don't put too much sugar in the coffee.

¿Quieres más? No gracias, ya comí demasiado.

Do you want more? No thanks, I already ate too much.

Word Connections

Synonyms

excesivo/a (excessive)
un montón de (a ton of (informal))

Antonyms

poco/a (little, few)
suficiente (enough)

Common Collocations

demasiadas cosas – too many things
demasiado ruido – too much noise
demasiado tiempo – too much time

💡 Grammar Points

Matching the Noun

When 'demasiado' describes a thing (a noun), it has to match that noun's gender and number. You have to choose from four forms: demasiado, demasiada, demasiados, demasiadas.

The Four Forms

Use 'demasiado' for masculine singular nouns (demasiado ruido), 'demasiada' for feminine singular (demasiada comida), 'demasiados' for masculine plural (demasiados perros), and 'demasiadas' for feminine plural (demasiadas sillas).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting to Make it Plural

Mistake: "Tengo demasiado problemas."

Correction: Tengo demasiados problemas. Since 'problemas' is a plural noun, you need the plural form 'demasiados'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using it All Alone

You can use these forms by themselves if everyone knows what you're talking about. For example: '¿Cuántas galletas comiste?' (How many cookies did you eat?) -> '¡Demasiadas!' (Too many!).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: demasiado

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence is correct? 'The movie was ____ long for my taste.'

📚 More Resources

Word Family

demasía(excess, surplus) - noun

en demasía(in excess, excessively) - adverbial phrase

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'muy' and 'demasiado'?

'Muy' means 'very' and just makes a description stronger (e.g., 'muy grande' = 'very big'). 'Demasiado' means 'too' and usually implies a problem or a negative consequence (e.g., 'demasiado grande' = 'too big', maybe it doesn't fit).

So when do I use 'demasiado' vs 'demasiada'?

It depends on what you're describing. If you're describing a quality (like 'hot' or 'fast'), you always use 'demasiado'. If you're describing a thing (a noun), you have to make it match: 'demasiado' for a masculine thing ('demasiado ruido') and 'demasiada' for a feminine thing ('demasiada comida').