Adjective Comparison (Steigerung)¶
Like in English, German adjectives have three forms of comparison: 1. Positive: The basic form (e.g., fast, good). 2. Comparative: Used to compare two things (e.g., faster, bett**er). 3. Superlative: Used to express the highest degree (e.g., fastest, b**est).
Comparative (Komparativ)¶
The comparative form is used to compare two nouns. It is formed by adding -er to the adjective.
When making a comparison, German uses als (than).
Rule: Adjective + -er
Examples: * schnell (fast) -> schneller (faster) * klein (small) -> kleiner (smaller) * interessant (interesting) -> interessanter (more interesting)
Sentence Examples: * Ein Porsche ist schneller als ein Fiat. (A Porsche is faster than a Fiat.) * Mein Haus ist kleiner als dein Haus. (My house is smaller than your house.)
Note: When a comparative adjective comes before a noun, it must still take regular adjective endings (e.g., "Ich habe ein schnelleres Auto." - I have a faster car.)
Superlative (Superlativ)¶
The superlative is used to say something is "the most" of any quality. It is formed by adding -(e)st to the adjective.
There are two main ways to use the superlative:
1. As a Predicate (with "am")¶
This is the most common form and is used when the adjective is not directly in front of a noun.
Rule: am + Adjective + -(e)sten
Examples: * schnell -> am schnellsten (fastest / the fastest) * klein -> am kleinsten (smallest / the smallest)
Sentence Examples: * Dieser Porsche ist am schnellsten. (This Porsche is the fastest.) * Sein Haus ist am kleinsten. (His house is the smallest.)
2. As an Attribute (before a noun)¶
When the superlative comes before a noun, it acts like a normal adjective and must be declined. It is almost always used with a definite article.
Rule: Definite Article + Adjective + -(e)ste + (Adjective Ending)
Examples: * das schnellste Auto (the fastest car) * der kleinste Mann (the smallest man) * die schönste Frau (the most beautiful woman)
Adjectives with Umlaut¶
Many common, one-syllable adjectives (especially with the vowels a, o, or u) add an Umlaut in the comparative and superlative forms.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| alt (old) | älter | am ältesten |
| jung (young) | jünger | am jüngsten |
| groß (big) | größer | am größten |
| kalt (cold) | kälter | am kältesten |
| lang (long) | länger | am längsten |
- Heute ist es kälter als gestern. (Today is colder than yesterday.)
- Der Januar ist am kältesten. (January is the coldest.)
Irregular Adjectives¶
A few of the most important adjectives have completely irregular comparison forms.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| gut (good) | besser | am besten |
| viel (much) | mehr | am meisten |
| gern (gladly) | lieber | am liebsten |
| hoch (high) | höher | am höchsten |
| nah (near) | näher | am nächsten |
Examples: * Du sprichst gut Deutsch, aber sie spricht besser. (You speak German well, but she speaks better.) * Pizza esse ich gern, aber Döner esse ich lieber. (I like eating pizza, but I prefer eating Döner.) * Was machst du am liebsten? (What do you like to do most?)
Spelling Notes¶
- Adjectives ending in -t, -d, -s, -ß, -x, or -z usually add -est in the superlative (e.g., breit -> am breitesten).
- Adjectives ending in -el or -er often drop the 'e' in the comparative (e.g., teuer -> teurer, dunkel -> dunkler).