Comparative and superlative PDF

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Comparative and superlative...

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Comparative and superlative The comparative is a comparison between two persons or things. The superlative describes the person or thing that has no equal. In English these two forms look like the following: COMPARATIVE: He

is taller than James.

SUPERLATIVE: She

is the tallest in her family.

Just like English, German adds -er to many adjectives or adverbs to form the comparative. For example: kleiner netter schöner

smaller nicer prettier,

kühler heißer weiter

nicer cooler hotter farther

Often an umlaut is added in the comparative. For example: alt  älter

older kalt 

kälter

colder jung

jünger

younger



Unlike English, there is no difference between the adjective and adverb forms of the comparative and superlative.

ADJECTIVE: Er ADVERB:

ist schnell/schneller/am schnellsten.

Sie läuft schnell/schneller/am schnellsten.

The superlative is often formed as a prepositional phrase introduced by am (an dem). It uses the ending -sten. For example: am kleinsten

the

smallest am schnellsten

the

fastest am schwersten

the

hardest

If the adjective or adverb ends in -d, -t, -s, -ss, -ß, -sch, or -z, the superlative ending becomes -esten. am ältesten

the

oldest am blödesten the most stupid am hübschesten the most beautiful

And a slight spelling shift takes place in the comparative with adjectives and adverbs that end in -el, -er, and -en. POSITIVE

COMPARATIVE

SUPERLATIVE

dunkel (dark)

dunkler

am dunkelsten

teuer

teurer

am teuersten

(expensive) trocken (dry)

trockner

am trockensten

English uses another form of comparative and superlative with long words—particularly foreign words. more interesting most interesting more talkative most talkative

German does not follow this pattern. The same approach to comparative and superlative used with shorter words is also used with longer words. POSITIVE

COMPARATIVE

interessant

interessanter am

wichtig glücklich

wichtiger

SUPERLATIVE

more/most

interessantesten interesting am wichtigsten more/most

glücklicher am glücklichsten

important more/most fortunate

Just like English, German has a few comparative and superlative forms that are irregular. POSITIVE

bald groß gut

soon big good

COMPARATIVE

SUPERLATIVE

eher größer besser

am ehesten am größten am besten

hoch high nah near viel much

höher näher mehr

am höchsten am nächsten am meisten

Comparisons are made by using the word als (than). The superlative requires no such word. Mein Freund ist älter als mein Bruder. My friend is older than my brother. Mein Freund ist am ältesten. My friend is the oldest. ÜBUNG...