How to "ita-fy" your words - Hannah

Costa Ricans ita-fy their words more than other Spanish-speaking people--that is, they add ita (feminine) or ito (masculine) to the end of lots of their words. It can mean little, or as an endearing term, something more like cute little.

For example, a taquito is basically a little taco. A tablespoon is a cucharada, while a teaspoon is a cucharadita.  Hmm... does that mean a burrito (burro + ito) is a little donkey?

You may hear a teacher telling a group of children to wash their manitas, their little hands. Or she may call the kids chiquitos (little kids), or in an even more endearing way, they'll just add another ito and call them chiquititos (sweet little kids).

Something could be small (pequeño), or it could be really small (pequeñito). A little dog, similar to how we would say doggy, is a perrito, and your sweet Grandpa is your abuelito. A little house, like a cottage, is a casita, while a little shirt is a camisita. A little moment is a momentito.

Once we were invited to someone's house in the tardecito (the little afternoon?). We needed a little clarification on what exactly that time meant.

Names are also ita-fied. I've heard my friend Carla called Carlita, or Ana called Anita. We've decided to ita-fy our names too. I am also Anita, Michael is Miguelito, Julia is Julita, Caleb is Calebito, Dylan is Dylanito, and Jonah is our little Jonitito.

Can you ita-fy your name too?