In German, comparatives (e.g. “bigger” or “better”) are formed by adding -er, while superlatives (e.g. “biggest” or “best”) are formed by adding -st or -sten. We use these words to form comparisons
- comparativeMein Garten ist schöner als der Garten meiner Nachbarn.Translation: My backyard is more beautiful than the backyard of my neighbors.
- superlativeAber der Garten meiner Eltern ist am schönsten.Translation: But my parents’ backyard is the most beautiful one.
In English, you’ll sometimes form comparatives and superlatives by using a word like “more” or “most,” but in German, they’re all formed using endings, though some are still irregular.
In this article, we’ll discuss the rules for forming German comparatives and superlatives and discuss how to use them to form simple comparisons. We’ll also look at irregular forms of comparatives and superlatives. Ready? Let’s do it!
What are comparative adjectives and adverbs?
In German, comparative adjectives and adverbs are used to make a comparison between two nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, when one of them has more of some quality than the other. We call these comparisons of inequality because the two things we’re comparing are not “equal.”
Comparative adjectives are used to describe nouns or pronouns, while comparative adverbs are used to describe other parts of speech:
- comparative adjectiveViele sagen, Nürnberg ist schöner als Düsseldorf.Translation: Many say, Nuremberg is nicer than Düsseldorf.Schöner describes Nuremberg (a noun).
- comparative adverbMit dem Auto kommt Tim schneller zur Arbeit als mit dem Fahrrad.Translation: Tim gets to work more quickly by car than by bicycle.Schneller describes how Tim gets to work.
How to form comparative adjectives and adverbs in German?
The comparatives of German adjectives and adverbs are generally formed by adding -er to an adjective or adverb stem. If you’re forming a comparative adjective, you will still need to add the adjective agreement endings after the -er.
stem
agreement ending
(adjectives only)
The agreement endings for comparative adjectives are the same ones you’ll use for all German adjectives. The ones you use will depend on the case, number, and gender of the modified noun, as well as on whether or not the adjective is used after an article like der meaning the or ein meaning an. Check out our post on German adjective endings to learn more!
How to form a sentence with comparatives in German?
In German, we use comparatives to form comparisons of inequality. Follow the sentence pattern below:
comparative form
(adjective or adverb)
How to form comparisons of equality in German?
In German, you’ll use a comparison of equality when you want to say that two things have equal amounts of some quality. In English, you would express these using a construction like “as tall as” or “as quickly as,” and in German the construction is similar.
To say that two things do have the same amount of a quality, use: so… wie meaning as... as
adjectiveadverbManche sagen, Fürth ist so schön wie Nürnberg.Translation: Some say, Fürth is as nice as Nuremberg.Ein Ferrari fährt so schnell wie ein Porsche.Translation: A Ferrari drives as fast as a Porsche.To say that two things do not have the same amount of a quality, use: nicht so… wie meaning not as... as
adjectiveViele sagen jedoch, Fürth ist nicht so schön wie Nürnberg.Translation: However, some say Fürth is not as nice as Nuremberg.
What are superlative adjectives and adverbs?
Superlative adjectives and adverbs are used to pull out something with the most of a quality, out of a group.
Superlative adjectives describe nouns or pronouns, while superlative adverbs describe other sorts of phrases:
- superlative adjectiveViele sagen, Nürnberg ist die schönste Stadt Frankens.Translation: Many say, Nuremberg is the nicest city of Franconia.Schönste describes Stadt, a noun.
- superlative adverbEin Ferrari fährt am schnellsten.Translation: A Ferrari drives the fastest.Schnellsten describes how the Ferrari drives.
Let’s take a closer look at how to form superlatives in German.
How to form and use superlatives in German?
In German, superlative adjectives and adverbs are mostly formed by adding -steor -sten to the stem. The one you add will depend on the sentence structure you use.
definite article + superlative adjective + noun → -ste / -sten
If you use a superlative adjective in a context like “the biggest house,” where the adjective shows up between a definite article and a noun, add -st and then the appropriate agreement endings for an adjective that follows an article. The rules are given in the box below.
adjective stem
-st-e or -en
(adjective endings after article)Die Etruskerspitzmaus ist das kleinste Säugetier.Translation: The common dwarf shrew is the smallest mammal.Säugetier is nominative, singular, neuter.Der Junge hat den schönsten Luftballon bekommen.Translation: The boy got the nicest balloon.Luftballon is accusative, singular, masculine.definite article + superlative adjective → -ste
When you use the superlative adjective after a definite article but without a following noun, as you might after sein meaning to be, the adjective will end in -ste:
definite article
adjective
-steSchokoladenkekse sind lecker, aber dieser Schokoladenkuchen ist der leckerste.Translation: Chocolate cookies are delicious, but this chocolate cake is the most delicious.am + superlative → -sten
We use this pattern for superlative adverbs or for superlative adjectives that don’t come directly before a noun. For example:
amstem
-stenSchnecken sind langsam, aber Faultiere sind am langsamsten.Translation: Snails are slow, but sloths are the slowest.Schnecken kriechen langsam, aber Faultiere laufen am langsamsten.Translation: Snails crawl slowly, but sloths walk the slowest.Der Schokoladenkuchen meiner Mama schmecken am besten.Translation: My mom’s chocolate cake tastes the best.
Irregular comparatives and superlatives in German
Just like in English, there are some words in German that have irregular comparative and superlative forms that you have to learn by heart.
- gutTranslation: goodbesserTranslation: better(am) bestenTranslation: best
- vielTranslation: much/manymehrTranslation: more(am) meistenTranslation: most
The words bald meaning soon, hoch meaning high, and nahe meaning near also have irregular forms. Check out this table of irregular comparatives and superlatives to see them.
There are also a number of words with a vowel (a, o, u) that acquires an umlaut (ä, ö, ü) in the comparative and superlative. Those are mostly one-syllable words, for example:
| a → ä | alt Translation: old älter Translation: better am ältesten Translation: oldest |
|---|---|
| o → ö | oft Translation: often öfter Translation: more often am öftesten Translation: most often |
| u → ü | klug Translation: smart klüger Translation: smarter am klügsten Translation: smartest |
See more examples for words that change their vowel to an umlaut in our table of irregular comparative and superlatives.
Summary
Here are the most important takeaways from this article on German comparatives and superlatives:
Comparatives are used to describe something with “more” of a quantity and are formed by adding -er to the stem. Use als in your comparison sentences, as you would use “than.”
To make a comparison of equality (“as… as”) use so… wie meaning as... as.
Superlatives are formed by adding -ste or -sten to the stem:
am + superlative → use -sten
definite article + superlative + noun → use -st + regular adjective ending (-e or -en)
definite article + superlative → use -ste
Are you ready to practice now? Head on over to our German comparatives and superlatives activity sheet to test your knowledge!
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