Understanding Latvian Comparative Adjectives
In Latvian, adjectives are words that describe things, like colors or sizes. Sometimes, we want to compare things to say one is 'bigger' or 'smaller' than the other. This is where comparative adjectives come in.
Forming Comparative Adjectives
To make a comparative adjective in Latvian, you usually add the ending '-āks' or '-āka' or '-āki' depending on the gender and number of the noun you are describing.
Important Points
- For masculine singular nouns, use '-āks'.
- For feminine singular nouns, use '-āka'.
- For plural nouns, use '-āki'.
Examples
- Liels becomes lielāks (bigger) when comparing masculine singular nouns.
- Skaista becomes skaistāka (more beautiful) when comparing feminine singular nouns.
- Lieli becomes lielāki (bigger) when comparing plural nouns.
Using Comparative Adjectives in Sentences
When you use a comparative adjective, you often compare two things directly. You can use the word 'nekā' which means 'than' to show what you are comparing.
Examples
- Viņš ir gudrāks nekā viņa brālis. (He is smarter than his brother.)
- Šī māja ir lielāka nekā tā māja. (This house is bigger than that house.)
- Viņas ziedi ir skaistāki nekā mani ziedi. (Her flowers are more beautiful than my flowers.)
Some adjectives do not follow the regular pattern and are irregular. You just have to remember these special forms.
Examples
- Labs becomes labāks (better).
- Slikts becomes sliktāks (worse).
- Mazs becomes mazāks (smaller).