Using "más + adjective + jamás + participle/subjunctive

Take the fastest path to fluent Spanish

In Spanish, to highlight a specific quality of something as the most extreme in its class we can use this superlative structure including the adverb "jamás":

más + adjective + jamás + past participle 

Let's see some examples:

Este es el actor más cotizado jamás conocido en Hollywood.This is the most sought after actor ever known in Hollywood.

Hablan de la novela más exitosa jamás escrita.They are talking about the most successful novel ever written.

Pudimos ver las sandías más grandes jamás cultivadas en esta zona.We were able to see the biggest watermelons ever grown in this area.

Bear in mind that you can also use this structure with the superlative adjective "mejor" (instead of más):

mejor + noun + jamás + past participle 

La cantante llevaba el mejor vestido jamás diseñado por Victorio & Lucchino.The singer was wearing the best dress ever designed by Victorio & Lucchino.

Compramos los mejores altavoces jamás creados en el mercado.We bought the best speakers ever made/produced in the market.

Here, "jamás" + participle is translated as "ever" + seen/done/written/ known/etc...

With the same meaning, but using a subordinate clause with "que", we can say:

más + adjective/mejor + noun + que jamás + verb generally in the subjunctive

For example:

Este es el actor más cotizado que jamás se haya conocido en Hollywood.This is the most sought after actor that has ever been known in Hollywood.

La cantante llevaba el mejor vestido que jamás diseñaran Victorio & Lucchino.The singer was wearing the best dress that Victorio & Lucchino ever designed.

Me presentaron a la chica más guapa que jamás hubiera visto.I was introduced to the most beautiful girl that I had ever met.

This construction can also use the indicative, for example:

 
Me presentaron a la chica más guapa que jamás había visto.I was introduced to the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.

However, it is much more frequent to use the subjunctive; the subjunctive is more emphatic and reflects a less restrictive field of comparison, i.e. the last example using "que jamás había visto" (indicative) conveys a sense of a limited number of people to compare the girl to, but when using "que jamás hubiera visto" (subjunctive), this is seen as not restricted to a certain number of people, but more widely - more of a generalisation. 

In addition, it is also important to note that this construction is more frequently used with a Tiempo compuesto

Remember that the adverb jamás is also an adverb of negation with the meaning "never", which is more emphatic than using "nunca":

Jamás tomo café después de la cena.

I never have coffee after my evening meal.

See also Spanish adverbs of "negación"

Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

Examples and resources

Hablan de la novela más exitosa jamás escrita.They are talking about the most successful novel ever written.
Compramos los mejores altavoces jamás creados en el mercado.We bought the best speakers ever made/produced in the market.
La cantante llevaba el mejor vestido jamás diseñado por Victorio & Lucchino.The singer was wearing the best dress ever designed by Victorio & Lucchino.
Este es el actor más cotizado que jamás se haya conocido en Hollywood.This is the most sought after actor that has ever been known in Hollywood.
La cantante llevaba el mejor vestido que jamás diseñaran Victorio & Lucchino.The singer was wearing the best dress that Victorio & Lucchino ever designed.
Me presentaron a la chica más guapa que jamás hubiera visto.I was introduced to the most beautiful girl that I had ever met.
Pudimos ver las sandías más grandes jamás cultivadas en esta zona.We were able to see the biggest watermelons ever grown in this area.
Me presentaron a la chica más guapa que jamás había visto.I was introduced to the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.
Este es el actor más cotizado jamás conocido en Hollywood.This is the most sought after actor ever known in Hollywood.
I'll be right with you...