Understanding the Comparison of Adjectives in Icelandic
In Icelandic, adjectives can change their form to show different levels of comparison, just like in English when we say 'big,' 'bigger,' and 'biggest.' This is called the comparison of adjectives.
Three Degrees of Comparison
Important Points
- Positive degree - the basic form of the adjective.
- Comparative degree - used to compare two things.
- Superlative degree - used to show the highest degree among three or more things.
Forming the Comparative and Superlative
Important Points
- Add -ari to the positive form to make the comparative.
- Add -astur to the positive form to make the superlative.
- Some adjectives are irregular and change completely.
Examples
- stór (big) - stærri (bigger) - stærstur (biggest)
- fallegur (beautiful) - fallegri (more beautiful) - fallegastur (most beautiful)
- góður (good) - betri (better) - bestur (best)
Just like in English, some adjectives in Icelandic don't follow the usual rules and are irregular. These adjectives change in a different way when they are compared.
Using Adjectives in Sentences
Examples
- Hún er falleg. (She is beautiful.)
- Hún er fallegri en systir hennar. (She is more beautiful than her sister.)
- Hún er fallegast af öllum. (She is the most beautiful of all.)
When using adjectives in sentences, remember to match the adjective to the noun it describes in gender, number, and case. This means the adjective will change its form to fit with the noun.