Language/German/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Forms

◀️ Descriptive Adjectives — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Talking About Health ▶️

German → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives → Comparative and Superlative Forms

Introduction

In this lesson, we will explore comparative and superlative forms of adjectives in German. Adjectives are an essential part of language as they allow us to describe people, objects, and situations. By learning how to form comparative and superlative forms, you will be able to express comparisons and make more nuanced statements in German. So let's dive in and discover the fascinating world of comparative and superlative adjectives!

Comparative Forms

Comparative forms are used when we want to compare two things or people. In German, we form comparative adjectives by adding specific endings to the base form of the adjective.

Adding -er to the Base Form

One common way to form the comparative in German is by adding "-er" to the base form of the adjective. Let's look at some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
alt	alt	old
alt+er	alt-er	older

In the example above, we start with the base form "alt" (old) and add "-er" to form the comparative "älter" (older).

Here are a few more examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
jung	jung	young
jung+er	jung-er	younger
groß	groß	big
groß+er	groß-er	bigger
klein	klein	small
klein+er	klein-er	smaller

As you can see, the process is straightforward. Just add "-er" to the base form of the adjective to form the comparative.

Adding umlaut and -er to the Base Form

In some cases, when the base form of the adjective ends with a vowel, we need to make a slight change before adding "-er". We add an umlaut (¨) to the vowel and then add "-er". Let's look at some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
warm	varm	warm
wärm+er	vairm-er	warmer
kalt	kalt	cold
kält+er	kelt-er	colder

In the examples above, we start with the base forms "warm" (warm) and "kalt" (cold). We add an umlaut to the vowel and then add "-er" to form the comparatives "wärmer" (warmer) and "kälter" (colder).

Exceptions

Like any rule, there are exceptions to the "-er" ending. Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms that do not follow the standard pattern. Here are a few examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
gut	goot	good
bess+er	bes-er	better
viel	feel	much/many
mehr	mayr	more

In the examples above, we see that the base form "gut" (good) becomes "besser" (better) in the comparative form. Similarly, "viel" (much/many) becomes "mehr" (more).

It's important to remember these irregular forms as they are commonly used in everyday speech.

Superlative Forms

Superlative forms are used when we want to compare three or more things or people. In German, we form superlative adjectives by adding specific endings to the base form of the adjective.

Adding -sten to the Base Form

One common way to form the superlative in German is by adding "-sten" to the base form of the adjective. Let's look at some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
hoch	hoch	high/tall
am hoch+sten	am hoch-sten	highest/tallest

In the example above, we start with the base form "hoch" (high/tall) and add "-sten" to form the superlative "am höchsten" (highest/tallest).

Here are a few more examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
schön	schön	beautiful
am schön+sten	am schön-sten	most beautiful
klug	kloog	smart/intelligent
am klug+sten	am kloog-sten	smartest/most intelligent
groß	groß	big
am groß+sten	am groß-sten	biggest

As you can see, the process is similar to forming the comparative. Just add "-sten" to the base form of the adjective to form the superlative.

Adding umlaut and -sten to the Base Form

Just like with the comparative forms, if the base form of the adjective ends with a vowel, we need to make a slight change before adding "-sten". We add an umlaut (¨) to the vowel and then add "-sten". Let's look at some examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
lang	lahng	long
am läng+sten	am läng-sten	longest
jung	jung	young
am jüng+sten	am yung-sten	youngest

In the examples above, we start with the base forms "lang" (long) and "jung" (young). We add an umlaut to the vowel and then add "-sten" to form the superlatives "am längsten" (longest) and "am jüngsten" (youngest).

Exceptions

Just like with comparative forms, there are exceptions to the "-sten" ending for superlative forms. Some adjectives have irregular superlative forms that do not follow the standard pattern. Here are a few examples:

German	Pronunciation	English
gut	goot	good
am best+en	am best-en	best
viel	feel	much/many
am meist+en	am meist-en	most

In the examples above, we see that the base form "gut" (good) becomes "am besten" (best) in the superlative form. Similarly, "viel" (much/many) becomes "am meisten" (most).

Again, it's important to remember these irregular forms as they are commonly used in everyday speech.

Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Sentences

Now that we know how to form comparative and superlative adjectives in German, let's see how to use them in sentences. Comparative and superlative adjectives are used to compare or describe the degree of a quality or characteristic. Here are a few examples:

• Mein Bruder ist älter als ich. (My brother is older than me.)
• Das Buch ist interessanter als der Film. (The book is more interesting than the movie.)
• Sie ist die klügste Person, die ich kenne. (She is the smartest person I know.)
• Das ist der beste Kuchen, den ich je gegessen habe. (This is the best cake I have ever eaten.)

In these examples, we can see how comparative and superlative adjectives add depth and specificity to our descriptions and comparisons. They allow us to express the degree of a quality or characteristic in relation to something else.

Summary

In this lesson, we explored how to form comparative and superlative forms of adjectives in German. We learned that comparative forms are used to compare two things or people, while superlative forms are used to compare three or more things or people. We saw that the standard way to form comparatives is by adding "-er" to the base form of the adjective, and the standard way to form superlatives is by adding "-sten" to the base form. However, we also discovered that there are exceptions and irregular forms that we need to remember.

By mastering comparative and superlative forms, you will be able to express comparisons and make more nuanced statements in German. So keep practicing and exploring the wonderful world of German grammar!

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject and Verb
• Noun and Gender

  ---

Greetings and Introduction

• Greetings and Goodbyes
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Definite and Indefinite Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural Forms
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative

  ---

Numbers, Dates and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days of the Week and Months
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Verb Forms
• Present Tense
• Separable Verbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Talking About Your Friends

  ---

Prepositions

• Using Prepositions
• Two-Way Prepositions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food and Meals
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

• Geography and Landmarks
• Cuisine and Traditions

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Booking a Trip
• Public Transportation

  ---

Modal Verbs

• Expressing Abilities
• Talking About Obligations

  ---

Shopping and Clothes

• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying Groceries

  ---

Music and Entertainment

• Popular Musicians and Genres
• Movies, TV and Literature

  ---

Adjectives

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Health and Body

• Talking About Health
• Body Parts

  ---

Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Sources

• Follow This Formula to Use German Comparatives and Superlatives ...
• Adjectives in German Grammar
• German Superlative and Comparative - German with language-easy ...

Other Lessons

• Cases
• Expressing Abilities
• Declension
• Imperative Tense
• How to Use Be
• Possessive Case in German
• Pronouns in German
• Adjectives
• Be Polite
• Verb Forms

◀️ Descriptive Adjectives — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Talking About Health ▶️