Language/Moroccan-arabic/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Adjectives

Moroccan Arabic Grammar → Adjectives → Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

When learning a new language, adjectives are essential to describe and compare things. In this lesson, we will focus on how to form comparative and superlative adjectives in Moroccan Arabic.

Comparative Adjectives

To form comparative adjectives, we use the following formula:

The adjective + akhir + noun

"akhir" means "more" in English.

Let's see some examples:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
أكبر	akbar	bigger
أحلى	ahla	nicer
أجمل	ajmal	more beautiful

In the above examples, we add "akhir" before the noun to indicate a comparison of degree between two subjects, such as "This car is bigger than that one".

We can also use the formula:

The adjective + akhir + min + noun

"min" means "than" in English.

Let's see some examples:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
هاد السيارة أكبر من هادي	had ssiyara akbar men hadi	This car is bigger than that one.
غيرام أجمل من نهار	ghiram ajmal men nahar	The night is more beautiful than the day.

Superlative Adjectives

To form superlative adjectives, we use the following formula:

The adjective + afdal + min + noun

"afdal" means "the most" in English.

Let's see some examples:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
أحسن ناس	ahsan nass	the best people
أعلى جبل	a'la jabal	the highest mountain
أصغر دولة	asghar dawla	the smallest country

In the above examples, we add "afdal min" before the noun to indicate the highest or the most in the group, such as "Morocco is the most beautiful country in North Africa".

We can also use the formula:

The adjective + lakbar + min + noun

"lakbar" means "the biggest" in English.

Let's see some examples:

Moroccan Arabic	Pronunciation	English
هاد الجبل أعلا من كل الجبال	had jabal a'la men kol ljabal	This mountain is the highest of all mountains.
المطار هو أكبر مطار في المملكة	lmatar howa akbar matar fi lmamlaka	The airport is the biggest airport in the kingdom.

Recap

Comparative and superlative adjectives allow us to describe things and make comparisons. In Moroccan Arabic, we form comparative adjectives using "akhir" and "min", and superlative adjectives using "afdal" and "min" or "lakbar" and "min".

It takes practice to master adjective agreement and comparative and superlative adjective formation, but with perseverance and patience, it can be done.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and learned something new. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.

Sources

• Moroccan Arabic
• Comparison (grammar)

Table of Contents - Moroccan Arabic Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction

• Alphabet and Writing
• Pronunciation

  ---

Greetings and Basic Phrases

• Introducing Yourself and Others
• Asking for Directions
• Numbers and Counting

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Plurals
• Demonstratives
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Food and Drink

• Ordering Food in a Restaurant
• Describing Food
• Beverages and Ordering Drinks

  ---

Verbs

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

House and Home

• Rooms and Furniture
• Household Chores
• Renting an Apartment

  ---

Adjectives

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

  ---

Traditions and Customs

• Weddings and Celebrations
• Greetings and Etiquette

  ---

Prepositions

• Directional Prepositions
• Temporal Prepositions

  ---

Transportation

• Taking a Taxi
• Public Transportation

  ---

Imperative Mood

• Affirmative Imperative
• Negative Imperative

  ---

Shopping and Bargaining

• Shopping for Clothes
• At the Market
• Bargaining and Haggling

  ---

Historical Sites and Landmarks

• The Medina
• Kasbahs

  ---

Relative Clauses

• Direct and Indirect Object Clauses
• Relative Pronouns

  ---

Health and Emergencies

• At the Hospital
• Emergencies and First Aid

  ---

Passive Voice

• Formation of Passive Constructions
• Uses of the Passive

  ---

Leisure and Entertainment

• Music and Dance
• Sports and Activities

  ---

Holidays and Festivals

• Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha
• Ramadan

  ---

Conditional Mood

• Formation of the Conditional
• Uses of the Conditional

  ---

Regional Dialects

• Darija and Other Dialects
• Language Use and Social Context

  ---

Indirect Speech

• Reported Speech
• Indirect Questions

  ---

Weather and Climate

• Describing the Weather
• Seasons and Climate

Related Lessons

• The verb "To Walk"
• The verb "To learn"
• Demonstrative Adjectives
• Definite Articles in Moroccan Arabic
• The Inclusive Case in Moroccan Arabic
• The verb "To Come"
• How to use “there to be” in Moroccan Arabic
• Verbs
• The Accusative Case in Moroccan Arabic
• Verb “to want”