The comparitive and superlative in German
Comparisons of equality
Equal comparisons are expressed by so/ebenso/genauso + adjective/adverb + wie.
-
Anne ist genauso groß wie Laura.
Anne is just as big as Laura.
Comparisons of inferiority
Comparisons of inferiority are expressed by nicht so + adjective/adverb + wie.
-
Wir sind nicht so faul wie die andere Klasse.
We are not as lazy as the other class.
Comparisons of superiority
Comparisons of superiority are expressed by adding an -er ending to an adjective or adverb preceding als.
-
Meine Tasche ist schöner als deine.
My bag is prettier than yours.
If it is continuous, you would use immer + comparative.
-
Es wird immer dunkler.
It is getting increasingly dark.
Watch out for irregular comparative adjectives:
Translation |
Adjective |
Comparative |
soon |
bald |
eher |
gladly |
gern |
lieber |
good |
gut |
besser |
high |
hoch |
höher |
a lot |
viel |
mehr |
Some adjectives take on an umlaut in comparative (alt, groß, jung, nah, stark, warm, etc.)
-
Es ist kälter als gestern.
It is colder than yesterday.
The superlative adjective
The superlative of an adjective is expressed by a -st or -est ending followed by the declination. The ending -est is used for the sake of euphony.
-
Das ist die kleinste Katze der Welt.
That is the smallest cat in the world.
The superlative adverb
The superlative of an adverb is created with am + adverb + -sten.
-
Er arbeitet am schnellsten.
He works the fastest.
Watch out for irregulars:
Translation |
Adjective |
Comparative |
soon |
bald |
am ehesten |
big |
groß |
am größten |
gladly |
gern |
am liebsten |
good |
gut |
am besten |
high |
hoch |
am nächsten |
a lot |
viel |
am meisten |
As in the comparative, some take on an umlaut in the superlative (alt, groß, jung, nah, stark, warm, etc.).
-
Das klügste Mädchen der Klasse.
The smartest girl in the class.
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