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The comparative and the superlative forms of an adjective
are used when making comparisons, e.g. something is smaller/longer/more
expensive etc. than something else (-> comparative) or something is the
smallest/the longest/the most expensive etc. (-> superlative)
For the comparative you add -er, for the superlative -st-
to the basic form of the adjective, regardless of its length,
e.g.
|
klein (small) |
kleiner (smaller) |
kleinst- (the smallest) |
|
schön (nice) |
schöner (nicer) |
schönst- (the nicest) |
|
langweilig (boring) |
langweiliger
(more boring) |
langweiligst- (the most boring) |
|
unfreundlich (unfriendly) |
unfreundlicher (more unfriendly)
|
unfreundlichst- (the most unfriendly) |
When the comparatives or superlatives are used before a
noun they have to add the appropriate adjective ending, e.g.
Hast du keinen kleineren Koffer?
(Don’t you have a smaller suitcase?)
Das ist mein kleinster Koffer.
(This is my smallest suitcase.)
Ist das der kleinste
Koffer?
(Is this the smallest suitcase?)
|
 |
Irregularities:
Some short adjectives also add an umlaut. Common ones are:
| |
alt (old) |
älter |
ältest- |
|
| |
arm (poor) |
ärmer |
ärmst- |
|
| |
hart (hard) |
härter |
härtest- |
|
| |
kalt (cold) |
kälter |
kältest- |
|
| |
krank (ill, sick) |
kränker |
kränkst- |
|
| |
lang (long) |
länger |
längst- |
|
| |
schwach (weak) |
schwächer |
schwächst- |
|
| |
stark (strong) |
stärker |
stärkst- |
|
| |
warm (warm) |
wärmer |
wärmst- |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
dumm (stupid) |
dümmer |
dümmst- |
|
| |
gesund (healthy) |
gesünder |
gesündest- |
|
| |
jung (joung) |
jünger |
jüngst- |
|
| |
kurz (short) |
kürzer |
kürzest- |
|
Adjectives ending in –d (but not –end), -t, ß, -z or -sch
(but not –isch) need an extra “e” before the “st-” in the superlative
form to make pronunciation easier; try to pronounce these forms without
the extra “e” and you will know why.
| |
gesund
|
gesündest-
|
|
| |
alt
|
ältest-
|
|
| |
heiß |
heißest- |
|
| |
kurz
|
kürzest- |
|
| |
hübsch
|
hübschest- |
|
Adjectives that end in -el or -er drop the “e” of that
ending in the comparative but not in the superlative, e.g.
| |
dunkel (dark) |
dunkler |
dunkelst- |
|
| |
teuer (expensive) |
teurer |
teuerst- |
|
Adjectives that end in –e only add an –r in the
comparative, e.g.
| |
leise (quiet) |
leiser |
leisest- |
|
| |
weise (wise) |
weiser |
weisest- |
|
ome adjectives have irregular forms:
| |
groß (big, tall) |
größer (bigger, taller) |
größt- (the biggest, the tallest)
|
|
| |
gut (good)
|
besser (better)
|
best- (the best) |
|
| |
hoch (high)
|
höher (higher) |
höchst- (the highest) |
|
| |
nah (close)
|
näher (closer) |
nächst- (the closest, the next) |
|
| |
viel (much)
|
mehr
(more |
meist-
(the most) |
|
| |
viele
(many) |
mehr*
(more) |
meist-
(the most) |
|
| |
wenig
(a little, a bit of) |
weniger* (less) |
wenigst- (the least) |
|
| |
wenige
(a few) |
weniger* (less) |
wenigst- (the least number of) |
|
"mehr”
and “weniger” do not take adjective endings, e.g.
Ich habe jetzt weniger
Zeit.
(Now I have less time.)
Ich habe jetzt mehr Zeit.
(Now I have more time.)
“meist-“
requires a definite article in situations where the English equivalent “most”
does not, e.g.
die meisten Leute (most of the people)
The comparative of adverbs is formed the same way
as that of adjectives. The superlative of adverbs has the word “am” in
front of it and the ending is –(e)sten, e.g.
Sie arbeitet hart. (She is working hard.)
Er arbeitet
härter. (He is working harder.)
Wir
arbeiten
am härtesten.
(We are working the hardest.)
Der Bus fährt schnell. (The bus is moving quickly.)
Das Auto fährt
schneller. (The car is moving more quickly.)
Der
Zug fährt
am schnellsten.
(The train is moving the quickest.)
Er verdient viel. (He earns a lot.)
Sie
verdient
mehr. (She earns more.)
Du
verdienst am meisten.
(You earn the most.)
The comparative and the superlative of the adverb “gern(e)”:
gern -> lieber -> am liebsten
Ich esse gern Vanilleeis.
(I like eating vanilla ice cream.)
Ich esse
lieber Erdbeereis. (I prefer eating strawberry ice cream.)
Schokoladeneis esse ich am liebsten.
(I like chocolate ice cream the best.)
Ways
of making a comparison:
Das ist ein teureres T-Shirt.
(This is a more expensive t-shirt.)
Das T-Shirt ist
teurer als das Hemd.
(The t-shirt is more expensive than the shirt.)
Das T-Shirt ist
(genau)so teuer wie das Hemd.
(The t-shirt is (just) as expensive as the shirt.)
Das T-Shirt ist
nicht so teuer wie das Hemd.
(The t-shirt is not as expensive as the shirt.)
Das T-Shirt ist fast so teuer wie
das Hemd.
(The t-shirt is nearly as expensive as the shirt.)
Öl wird
immer teurer. (Oil is getting more and more expensive.) |