How to Say "highly" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “highly” is “altamente” — use 'altamente' as a general-purpose translation for 'highly' when indicating a great degree or extent, especially with adjectives describing a state or quality..
altamente
/al-TAH-men-te//alˈta.men.te/
Examples
El nuevo software es altamente eficiente.
The new software is highly efficient.
La situación se considera altamente riesgosa.
The situation is considered extremely risky.
El jurado encontró su testimonio altamente creíble.
The jury found her testimony highly credible.
Forming Adverbs with -mente
Most Spanish adverbs like 'altamente' are formed by taking the feminine singular form of an adjective ('alta') and adding the ending '-mente.' This works just like adding '-ly' in English.
Invariable Word
Since 'altamente' is an adverb, it always stays the same. It does not change its ending to match the gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural) of the word it modifies.
Confusing Adverb and Adjective
Mistake: “La situación es alta compleja. (Using the adjective 'alta' instead of the adverb.)”
Correction: La situación es altamente compleja. (Use 'altamente' because it modifies the adjective 'compleja,' telling us *how* complex it is.)
extremadamente
/eks-treh-mah-dah-men-teh//eɣstɾemaˈðamente/
Examples
La prueba de matemáticas fue extremadamente difícil.
The math test was extremely difficult.
Ella habla inglés extremadamente bien.
She speaks English extremely well.
El presidente se mostró extremadamente cauteloso con su respuesta.
The president showed himself to be extremely cautious with his response.
The '-mente' Adverb Pattern
Most adverbs that show how something is done or how much are created by taking the feminine form of an adjective (like 'extrema') and adding the ending '-mente'.
Always Invariable
Unlike adjectives, adverbs like 'extremadamente' never change their form. They are the same whether you are talking about one thing or many things, and regardless of gender.
Using the Masculine Form
Mistake: “La cosa es extremo difícil.”
Correction: La cosa es extremadamente difícil. (The base adjective is 'extremo,' but for the adverb, you must use the '-mente' ending.)
sumamente
/soo-mah-MEN-teh//sumaˈmente/
Examples
El examen final fue sumamente difícil para todos.
The final exam was extremely difficult for everyone.
Es sumamente importante que guardes este secreto.
It is extremely important that you keep this secret.
Estamos sumamente agradecidos por su ayuda.
We are highly grateful for your help.
How it's built
This word is formed by taking the adjective 'suma' (meaning 'high' or 'total') and adding '-mente,' which works just like adding '-ly' to words in English.
Where to put it
Place this word right before the adjective you want to emphasize, just like you would with 'very' or 'extremely' in English.
Overusing 'Muy'
Mistake: “Using 'muy' for everything.”
Correction: Try 'sumamente' in writing or formal situations to sound more sophisticated and precise.
Overusing 'Altamente'
Related Translations
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