Language/Catalan/Grammar/Comparatives-and-Superlatives

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Catalan Grammar - Comparatives and Superlatives
Comparatives and Superlatives in Catalan

Hi Catalan learners! 😊

In today's lesson, we will learn about comparatives and superlatives in Catalan. These are important grammar concepts that allow us to compare different things or describe something as the best or the worst.

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: How to say "there is" in Catalan, Indefinite Articles in Catalan, Introduction to pronouns & Introduction to verb conjugation.

Let's get started with the table of the most common comparative and superlative forms in Catalan:

Common Comparative and Superlative Forms in Catalan[edit | edit source]

English Catalan Comparative Superlative
Good BĂ© Millor El millor
Bad Dolent Pitjor El pitjor
Big Gran Més gran El més gran
Small Petit Més petit El més petit

As you can see from the table, the comparative form in Catalan is usually formed by adding the word "més" before the adjective, and the superlative form is usually formed by adding the word "el" before the adjective.

Here are some additional rules and examples to help you better understand how to form comparatives and superlatives in Catalan:

Forming Comparatives[edit | edit source]

To form the comparative form of an adjective in Catalan, follow these rules:

  • For adjectives of one syllable, add the suffix "-er" to the adjective to form the comparative. Example: "gran" (big) becomes "mĂ©s gran" (bigger).
  • For adjectives of two or more syllables, add the word "mĂ©s" before the adjective. Example: "interessant" (interesting) becomes "mĂ©s interessant" (more interesting).

Some examples of comparative forms in Catalan:

  • "Aquest llibre Ă©s mĂ©s interessant que aquell." (This book is more interesting than that one.)
  • "El cotxe Ă©s mĂ©s rĂ pid que la bicicleta." (The car is faster than the bicycle.)
  • "La ciutat Ă©s mĂ©s gran que el poble." (The city is bigger than the town.)

Forming Superlatives[edit | edit source]

To form the superlative form of an adjective in Catalan, follow these rules:

  • For adjectives of one syllable, add the suffix "-est" to the adjective to form the superlative. Example: "gran" (big) becomes "el mĂ©s gran" (the biggest).
  • For adjectives of two or more syllables, add the word "el" before the adjective. Example: "interessant" (interesting) becomes "el mĂ©s interessant" (the most interesting).

Some examples of superlative forms in Catalan:

  • "Aquest Ă©s el llibre mĂ©s interessant de tots." (This is the most interesting book of all.)
  • "El cotxe mĂ©s rĂ pid Ă©s el Ferrari." (The fastest car is the Ferrari.)
  • "La ciutat mĂ©s gran del mĂłn Ă©s Nova York." (The biggest city in the world is New York.)

It's important to note that there are some irregular comparative and superlative forms in Catalan that don't follow these rules. Here are a few examples:

  • "Bo" (good) becomes "millor" (better) and "el millor" (the best).
  • "Dolent" (bad) becomes "pitjor" (worse)

Basic Comparison[edit | edit source]

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two nouns, indicating that one noun has more of a particular quality than the other noun. In Catalan, comparative adjectives are usually formed by adding the suffix "-er" to the adjective, but there are some irregular comparatives that have different forms.

Here are some examples of regular comparative adjectives and how they are formed:

  • "alt" (tall) becomes "mĂ©s alt" (taller)
  • "fort" (strong) becomes "mĂ©s fort" (stronger)
  • "gran" (big) becomes "mĂ©s gran" (bigger)

To use comparative adjectives in a sentence, simply place "més" before the adjective, like this:

  • "El meu germĂ  Ă©s mĂ©s alt que jo." (My brother is taller than me.)
  • "Aquesta casa Ă©s mĂ©s gran que la meva." (This house is bigger than mine.)
  • "El teu cotxe Ă©s mĂ©s rĂ pid que el meu." (Your car is faster than mine.)

Superlative adjectives are used to compare one noun to all others in a group, indicating that one noun has the most of a particular quality. In Catalan, superlative adjectives are usually formed by adding the suffix "-est" to the adjective, but again, there are some irregular superlatives that have different forms.

Here are some examples of regular superlative adjectives and how they are formed:

  • "alt" (tall) becomes "mĂ©s alt" (taller) and "el mĂ©s alt" (the tallest)
  • "fort" (strong) becomes "mĂ©s fort" (stronger) and "el mĂ©s fort" (the strongest)
  • "gran" (big) becomes "mĂ©s gran" (bigger) and "el mĂ©s gran" (the biggest)

To use superlative adjectives in a sentence, place "el/la/els/les" before the superlative form of the adjective, like this:

  • "El meu germĂ  Ă©s el mĂ©s alt de tots." (My brother is the tallest of all.)
  • "Aquesta casa Ă©s la mĂ©s gran del barri." (This house is the biggest in the neighborhood.)
  • "El teu cotxe Ă©s el mĂ©s rĂ pid de tots els cotxes que he vist." (Your car is the fastest of all the cars I've seen.)

It's important to note that some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are a few examples:

  • "bo" (good) becomes "millor" (better) for the comparative and "el millor" (the best) for the superlative
  • "dolç" (sweet) becomes "mĂ©s dolç" (sweeter) for the comparative and "el mĂ©s dolç" (the sweetest) for the superlative
  • "gran" (great) becomes "major" (greater) for the comparative and "el major" (the greatest) for the superlative

Making Comparisons with Nouns[edit | edit source]

When making comparisons with nouns, we use the words "més" (more) and "menys" (less).

Here are some examples of how to use "més" and "menys" with nouns:

  • "Ell tĂ© mĂ©s diners que jo." (He has more money than I do.)
  • "La teva ciutat tĂ© menys trĂ nsit que la meva." (Your city has less traffic than mine.)
  • "El vostre gat Ă©s mĂ©s gran que el meu." (Your cat is bigger than mine.)
  • "La meva germana Ă©s menys alta que jo." (My sister is less tall than I am.)

It is important to note that "més" and "menys" are only used with singular nouns. If you want to compare plural nouns, you will need to use a different construction.

Comparing Adjectives[edit | edit source]

When comparing adjectives in Catalan, we use the words "més" (more) and "menys" (less) just like with nouns. Here are some examples of how to use "més" and "menys" with adjectives:

  • "La casa nova Ă©s mĂ©s gran que la casa vella." (The new house is bigger than the old house.)
  • "El menjar japonĂšs Ă©s menys greixĂłs que el menjar americĂ ." (Japanese food is less greasy than American food.)
  • "El teu cotxe Ă©s mĂ©s rĂ pid que el meu." (Your car is faster than mine.)
  • "La pel·lĂ­cula d'acciĂł Ă©s menys interessant que la pel·lĂ­cula de terror." (The action movie is less interesting than the horror movie.)

Just like with nouns, "més" and "menys" are only used with singular adjectives. If you want to compare plural adjectives, you will need to use a different construction.

Comparing Adverbs[edit | edit source]

When comparing adverbs in Catalan, we use the words "més" (more) and "menys" (less) just like with nouns and adjectives. Here are some examples of how to use "més" and "menys" with adverbs:

  • "Ell parla mĂ©s rĂ pid que jo." (He speaks more quickly than I do.)
  • "Ella canta menys bĂ© que la seva germana." (She sings less well than her sister.)
  • "El gos corre mĂ©s lentament que el gat." (The dog runs more slowly than the cat.)
  • "El nen escriu menys netament que la nena." (The boy writes less neatly than the girl.)
  • As with nouns and adjectives, "mĂ©s" and "menys" are only used with singular adverbs.

Superlatives[edit | edit source]

To form superlatives in Catalan, we use the word "més" (most) before the adjective or adverb. Here are some examples:

  • "El muntanyĂł mĂ©s alt del mĂłn Ă©s l'Everest." (The highest mountain in the world is Everest.)
  • "La pel·lĂ­cula mĂ©s interessant que he vist aquest any Ă©s 'Parasite'." (The most interesting movie I've seen this year is 'Parasite'.)
  • "El gat Ă©s l'animal mĂ©s net de la casa." (The cat is the cleanest animal in the house.)
  • "La meva mare Ă©s la persona que canta mĂ©s bĂ© de la famĂ­lia." (My mother is the person who sings the best in the family.)
  • To form the superlative of an adverb, we use "mĂ©s" before the adverb, followed by "de tots" (of all). For example:
  • "La meva germana corre mĂ©s rĂ pid de tots." (My sister runs the fastest of all.)

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives[edit | edit source]

As with other languages, there are some irregular comparatives and superlatives in Catalan that do not follow the usual rules. Here are a few examples:

  • "BĂ©" (good) - "millor" (better) - "el/la millor" (the best) "Molt" (much) - "mĂ©s

Superlative[edit | edit source]

The superlative form is used when comparing one thing to everything else in the group. It is the highest degree of comparison. In Catalan, we form the superlative by adding the suffix "-Ă­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes" to the end of the adjective.

Here are some examples of how to use the superlative:

  • "El meu professor Ă©s el mĂ©s intel·ligent de l'escola." (My teacher is the most intelligent in the school.)
  • "Aquesta pel·lĂ­cula Ă©s la mĂ©s emocionant que he vist mai." (This movie is the most exciting I've ever seen.)
  • "El llibre que has escrit Ă©s el mĂ©s interessant de tots." (The book you have written is the most interesting of all.)

Here are some common adjectives and their superlative forms:

Adjective Superlative
BĂł (good) BonĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very good)
Dolent (bad) DolentĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very bad)
Alt (tall/high) AltĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very tall/very high)
Baix (short/low) BaixĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very short/very low)
Gran (big/large) GranĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very big/very large)
Petit (small) PetitĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very small)
RĂ pid (fast) RapidĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very fast)
Lent (slow) LentĂ­ssim/-Ă­ssima/-Ă­ssims/-Ă­ssimes (very slow)

It's important to note that some adjectives have irregular superlative forms. Here are a few examples:

Adjective Superlative
BĂ© (well) Òptim/-a/-s/-es (optimal)
Malament (poorly) PĂšssim/-a/-s/-es (terrible)
Gran (great) MĂ xim/-a/-s/-es (maximum)
Petit (little) Menudet/-a/-s/-es (very small)

Exceptions[edit | edit source]

There are some adjectives that are irregular when making comparisons. These include "bon" (good) and "mau" (bad). Here's how you would use them:

Comparison Bon Mau
Comparative Millor (better) Pitjor (worse)
Superlative Óptim/-a/-s/-es (optimal) Pùssim/-a/-s/-es (terrible)

Examples[edit | edit source]

ENGLISH CATALAN
MORE BEAUTIFUL (MASC) MÉS BONIC
MORE BEAUTIFUL (FEMIN) MÉS BONICA
BIGGER (MASC) MAJOR
BIGGER (FEMIN) MAJOR
LONGER (MASC) MÉS LLARG
LONGER (FEMIN) MÉS LLARGA
STRONGER (MASC) MÉS FORT
STRONGER (FEMIN) MÉS FORTA
EASIER (MASC) MÉS FÀCIL
EASIER (FEMIN) MÉS FÀCIL
SWITZERLAND IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN GERMANY SUÏSSA ES MÉS BONICA QUE ALEMANYA
THIS CITY IS BIGGER THAN THIS COUNTRY AQUESTA CIUTAT ÉS MAJOR QUE AQUEST PAÍS
MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THEM ALL (MASC) MÉS BONIC D`ELLS
MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THEM ALL (FEMIN) MÉS BONICA D`ELLES
BIGGEST OF THEM ALL (MASC) MAJOR D`ELLS
BIGGEST OF THEM ALL (FEMIN) MAJOR D`ELLES
LONGEST OF THEM ALL (MASC) MÉS LLARG D`ELLS
LONGEST OF THEM ALL (FEMIN) MÉS LLARGA D`ELLES
STRONGEST OF THEM ALL (MASC) MÉS FORT D`ELLS
STRONGEST OF THEM ALL (FEMIN) MÉS FORTA D`ELLES
EASIEST OF THEM ALL (MASC) MÉS FÀCIL D`ELLS
EASIEST OF THEM ALL (FEMIN) MÉS FÀCIL D`ELLES
HE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MEN OF THEM ALL ELL ÉS L`HOME MÉS BONIC D`ELLES
RUSSIA IS THE BIGGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD RÚSSIA ÉS EL MAJOR PÁIS DEL MÓN
THESE LANGUAGES ARE THE EASIEST AQUESTES LLENGÜES SÓN LES MÉS FÀCILS

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Comparatives and superlatives are used in Catalan to compare two or more things. By knowing how to use them correctly, you can describe things with more precision and detail. Remember to use the correct form of the comparative or superlative, and to be careful with irregular forms.

I hope this lesson was helpful and informative.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Happy learning!

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