Re-, rete-, requete-, archi-, recontra-, super-, hiper-, ultra-

Re-, rete-, requete-, archi-, recontra-, super-, hiper-, ultra-
In conversational Mexican Spanish, it’s common to hear the prefixes re-, rete-, and requete-,
which intensify the corresponding adjective or adverb to different degrees:
feliz happy
refeliz very happy
retefeliz very very happy
requetefeliz extremely happy
rápido fast
reterrápido very very fast
requeterrápido extremely fast
If it’s an adjective, it has to agree with the noun:
Esas motocicletas son requeterrápidas
those motorcycles are extremely fast.
Another alternative:
Esas motocicletas son rapidísimas.
Archi-, recontra-, super-, ultra-, and different combinations of all previous ones, have the similar effect:
caro, expensive
supercaro, superexpensive
archirrecontracaro, very, extremely expensive
and you even might hear:
archirrecontrainteresante, very very …… extremely interesting
superarchirrecontrainteresante, very very …… extremely superinteresting.

These are examples from the DRAE:
Con adjetivos o adverbios, puede
reforzarse el valor de intensificación añadiendo a re- las
sílabas -te o -quete.
Retebueno.
Requetebién.
2.
elem. compos.
Antepuesto a algunos adjetivos, expresa idea de exceso.
Ultraligero
ultrasensible.

Here, requetebueno means a very, very good boy.

Tvía no sé como hay gente q puede abandonar a estas cositas en la carretera a merded de las ruedas d cualquier coche.ste chiquitín está buscando 1casa donde le quieran. Aunq no esteis interesados teneis q compartir!Es macho, tendrá como unos 6 o 7 meses y es requetebueno.
Thanks pic.twitter.com/pbocK46sSD

— Maryjaia (@Maryjaia1) December 20, 2018

Requetebueno means very sexy in this case.

Gulf is really killing us with his look! That jacket and earring… the sexy and fierce stare… ☺️❤️
Gulf está requetebueno!!! Soy tuya! 😋#BoyfriendsGMM #GulfKanawut #GULFismyBOYFRIEND
pic.twitter.com/4UwIRbbBbK

— LαɾαKαye is lucky (@LK_G2NE) September 29, 2020

A los 18 estaba bueno, ahora estoy requetebueno.

Ser bueno = to be good. Estar bueno = to be sexy.

At 18 I was sexy, now I am very very sexy.  It’s a pun between good and sexy.

First published on 20061014, Latest edited on 20210328 (spanishNY.com) top