Language/Modern-greek-1453/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Adjectives

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Modern Greek (1453-) Grammar → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

In the previous lesson, we learned about adjectives and how they are used in Modern Greek. We discovered that adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns, giving us more information about them. We also learned about the agreement between adjectives and nouns in terms of gender, number, and case.

In this lesson, we will continue our exploration of adjectives and focus specifically on comparative and superlative adjectives. Comparative adjectives are used to compare two or more things, while superlative adjectives are used to describe the highest degree of a quality. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form and use comparative and superlative adjectives in Modern Greek.

Forming Comparative Adjectives

To form the comparative degree of adjectives in Modern Greek, we generally add the suffix "τερος" (-teros) to the adjective's stem. The stem is the part of the adjective that remains constant, while the ending can change depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Let's look at some examples:

• Ψηλός (psilós) - Tall

 * Comparative: Ψηλότερος (psilóteros) - Taller

• Γρήγορος (grígoros) - Fast

 * Comparative: Γρηγορότερος (grigoróteros) - Faster

• Καλός (kalós) - Good

 * Comparative: Καλύτερος (kalýteros) - Better

As you can see, the suffix "τερος" (-teros) is added to the stem of the adjective to form the comparative degree. It is important to note that the ending of the comparative adjective must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. We will explore this further in the next section.

Agreeing with Gender, Number, and Case

Just like with regular adjectives, comparative adjectives must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they modify. This means that the ending of the comparative adjective will change depending on these factors.

Let's take a look at some examples:

• Ψηλότερος (psilóteros) - Taller (masculine singular)

 * Ψηλότερη (psilóteri) - Taller (feminine singular)
 * Ψηλότερο (psilótero) - Taller (neuter singular)
 * Ψηλότεροι (psilóteroi) - Taller (masculine plural)
 * Ψηλότερες (psilóteres) - Taller (feminine plural)
 * Ψηλότερα (psilótera) - Taller (neuter plural)

As you can see, the ending of the comparative adjective changes based on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. It is important to pay attention to these changes and ensure that the adjective agrees with the noun.

Using Comparative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two or more things. In English, we often use the word "than" to make the comparison clear. In Modern Greek, we use the word "από" (apó) followed by the noun or pronoun we are comparing to.

Let's see some examples:

• Ο πύργος είναι ψηλότερος από το σπίτι.

 * The tower is taller than the house.

• Η γάτα είναι γρηγορότερη από το σκυλί.

 * The cat is faster than the dog.

• Το αυτοκίνητο είναι καλύτερο από το ποδήλατο.

 * The car is better than the bicycle.

In these examples, we use the comparative adjective to compare the height, speed, and quality of different objects. We use the word "από" (apó) to indicate the comparison.

Forming Superlative Adjectives

To form the superlative degree of adjectives in Modern Greek, we generally add the suffix "τος" (-tos) to the adjective's stem. The stem is the part of the adjective that remains constant, while the ending can change depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Let's look at some examples:

• Ψηλός (psilós) - Tall

 * Superlative: Ψηλότατος (psilótatos) - Tallest

• Γρήγορος (grígoros) - Fast

 * Superlative: Γρηγορότατος (grigorótatos) - Fastest

• Καλός (kalós) - Good

 * Superlative: Καλύτατος (kalýtatos) - Best

As you can see, the suffix "τος" (-tos) is added to the stem of the adjective to form the superlative degree. Again, it is important to note that the ending of the superlative adjective must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Agreeing with Gender, Number, and Case

Just like with comparative adjectives, superlative adjectives must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they modify. This means that the ending of the superlative adjective will change depending on these factors.

Let's take a look at some examples:

• Ψηλότατος (psilótatos) - Tallest (masculine singular)

 * Ψηλότατη (psilótati) - Tallest (feminine singular)
 * Ψηλότατο (psilótato) - Tallest (neuter singular)
 * Ψηλότατοι (psilótatoi) - Tallest (masculine plural)
 * Ψηλότατες (psilótates) - Tallest (feminine plural)
 * Ψηλότατα (psilótata) - Tallest (neuter plural)

As you can see, the ending of the superlative adjective changes based on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. Pay attention to these changes and ensure that the adjective agrees with the noun.

Using Superlative Adjectives

Superlative adjectives are used to describe the highest degree of a quality. In English, we often use the word "the" before the superlative adjective. In Modern Greek, we use the definite article "ο" (o), "η" (i), or "το" (to) followed by the superlative adjective.

Let's see some examples:

• Ο πύργος είναι ο ψηλότατος.

 * The tower is the tallest.

• Η γάτα είναι η γρηγορότατη.

 * The cat is the fastest.

• Το αυτοκίνητο είναι το καλύτατο.

 * The car is the best.

In these examples, we use the superlative adjective to describe the highest degree of height, speed, and quality. We use the definite article "ο" (o), "η" (i), or "το" (to) to indicate the superlative.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned how to form and use comparative and superlative adjectives in Modern Greek. We discovered that to form the comparative degree, we generally add the suffix "τερος" (-teros) to the adjective's stem. We also learned that the ending of the comparative adjective must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. For the superlative degree, we added the suffix "τος" (-tos) to the adjective's stem and again, the ending must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun. Finally, we explored how to use comparative and superlative adjectives in sentences to make comparisons and describe the highest degree of a quality.

In the next lesson, we will continue our study of adjectives and adverbs in Modern Greek by focusing on forming and using adverbs and adverbial phrases.

Table of Contents - Modern Greek (1453-) Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Greek Alphabet

• Greek Letters and Pronunciation
• Diphthongs and Special Combinations

  ---

Basic Greetings and Phrases

• Greetings and Introductions
• Common Everyday Phrases

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Noun Gender and Plurals

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering in a Restaurant

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

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Greek Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Greek Cuisine

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Greek History and Geography

• Historical Overview
• Geographical Regions

Other Lessons

• Prepositions and conjunctions
• Greek voices verbs Φωνή και συζυγίες ρημάτων
• Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases
• Pronoms interrogatifs
• The use of uppercase and lowercase
• Greek Adverbs
• Pronunciation rules
• Various Greek linguistic terms
• Indirect speech
• Particles

◀️ Adjective Agreement — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases ▶️