Bigger, Better, Faster: Komparativ und Superlativ

Mein Bruder ist schnell. But you are faster, and the district champion is faster still. German compares in three steps: the plain quality, “more” and “the most”. They are called Positiv, Komparativ and Superlativ. We use them for prices, cities, weather and people: Berlin ist größer als München.

Remember two markers. In the Komparativ the quality gets -er, in the Superlativ am stands in front and -sten is added at the end. Say Der Zug ist am schnellsten. aloud once and the pattern sticks.

Nina and Ben argue about cities and food. Listen and spot the words with -er and am ...-sten: all three steps are already here, the rules come next.

One formula: Komparativ = adjective + -er, Superlativ = am + adjective + -sten. To compare with someone we add als: Mein Zimmer ist kleiner als dein Zimmer.

The extra e in am neuesten and am leichtesten is explained further on.

Everyday example: where is the roll cheaper?

Note: teuer loses its middle e, teurer, but in the Superlativ it stays: am teuersten. Same with dunkel: dunkler, am dunkelsten.

Two things to watch. First: many short adjectives take an umlaut (a → ä, o → ö, u → ü). Second: adjectives ending in -d, -t, -s, -ß, -z, -sch add an extra e in the Superlativ, otherwise they are hard to pronounce.

The seasons thermometer

Five words break the rule, and you will need them all the time. There is no logic, so learn each form as a separate fact, ideally with an example. Hoch loses its c in höher: höher, but am höchsten.

The same steps work for amounts: viel → mehr → am meisten, in the plural viele → mehr → die meisten. More in the Indefinitpronomen lesson.

Two words for two situations. Equal: so ... wie with the Positiv. Unequal: Komparativ + als. Do not mix them: Er ist so groß wie sein Bruder. Sie ist größer als ich. Look at the height of three friends.

When the comparison stands before a noun it takes the usual adjective endings. After the definite article in the Nominativ that is -e (for der, die, das) and -en (for the plural): der schnellere Zug, das teuerste Auto, die kleinsten Kinder.

The Superlativ before a noun does not need am: am schnellsten goes with a verb, der schnellste Zug with a noun. In other cases the endings change like those of any adjective.

Records of Germany

Six typical slips. The wrong version comes first, the right one below it.

You will hear these phrases every day. Learn them whole.

You can now compare people, things and cities and say which one is the best. Five checks:

1. Formula: Komparativ = adjective + -er, Superlativ = am + adjective + -sten.
2. Umlaut (alt → älter) and the extra e (heiß → am heißesten); groß → am größten.
3. Irregular forms: gut → besser → am besten, viel → mehr → am meisten, gern → lieber → am liebsten.
4. Comparison: so ... wie for equality, Komparativ + als for inequality, one word, not both.
5. Before a noun the Superlativ has no am but an ending: der schnellste Zug, das teuerste Auto, die kleinsten Kinder.

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Training: 30 exercises

To make the forms stick, do the training with 30 exercises: choose the form, build the sentence and type the word, with an explanation after every answer.