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Understanding the Comparison of Adjectives in German
In German, adjectives can change their form to show different degrees of comparison. This helps us describe things by comparing them to each other. There are three main forms: the positive, the comparative, and the superlative.
Important Points
Positive: This is the basic form of the adjective.
Comparative: Used to compare two things. Usually formed by adding '-er' to the adjective.
Superlative: Used to compare more than two things or to show the highest degree. Formed by adding '-st' or '-est' to the adjective.
Forming the Comparative
To make the comparative in German, you often add '-er' to the end of the adjective. If the adjective has only one syllable, you might also need to add an umlaut (those two little dots) over the vowel.
Examples
klein -> kleiner (small -> smaller)
alt -> älter (old -> older)
schnell -> schneller (fast -> faster)
Forming the Superlative
To form the superlative, you add '-st' or '-est' to the adjective. If the adjective ends in '-t', '-d', '-s', '-ß', '-z', or '-sch', you add '-est' to make it sound better.
Examples
klein -> kleinste (small -> smallest)
alt -> älteste (old -> oldest)
schnell -> schnellste (fast -> fastest)
Irregular Adjectives
Some adjectives have irregular forms for the comparative and superlative. These do not follow the usual rules and must be memorized.