Komparativ und Superlativ - Comparative and superlative

📌 In German, adjectives can have three degrees of comparison:

Equality (Positiv) – expresses that two things are the same.
Comparative (Komparativ) – expresses that one thing has a quality to a greater degree than the other.
Superlative (Superlativ) – expresses that one thing has a quality to the highest degree within a group.

1. Equality (Positiv)

Equality is used to indicate that two things have the same degree.

🔹 1.1. Basic type

ℹ️ Formula:

💡 📌 Formula:

so + adjective + wie

Example:

Peter ist so groß wie Maria.
(Peter is as tall as Maria.)

Dieses Auto ist so teuer wie das andere.
(This car is as expensive as the other one.)

Note:

This structure is used when two things are equal in degree.

🔹 1.2. Some variants of equality

📌 Besides "so ... wie", there are several other ways to express equality with different degrees.

Structure	Meaning	Example
genau so + Adj + wie	Exactly equal	Er ist genau so groß wie sein Bruder. (He is exactly as tall as his brother.)
doppelt so + Adj + wie	Twice as much	Dieses Haus ist doppelt so teuer wie das andere. (This house is twice as expensive as the other one.)
halb so + Adj + wie	Half as much	Der Test war halb so schwer wie erwartet. (The test was only half as hard as expected.)
fast so + Adj + wie	Almost equal	Ich bin fast so schnell wie du. (I am almost as fast as you.)
nicht so + Adj + wie	Not as much	Das Wetter ist nicht so warm wie gestern. (The weather today is not as warm as yesterday.)

Note:

"Nicht so ... wie" is used to express that one thing is less than another.

🔹 1.3. Equality with quantity

📌 When comparing quantities, we use "so viel(e) ... wie".

Example:

Er hat so viel Geld wie sein Freund.
(He has as much money as his friend.)

Wir haben so viele Bücher wie ihr.
(We have as many books as you.)

Note:

"Viel" is used with uncountable nouns.
"Viele" is used with plural nouns.

🔹 1.4. Which case to use with "wie"?

📌 After "wie", the noun can be in the Akkusativ or Dativ, depending on the verb.

Example:

Ich kenne ihn so gut wie dich.
(I know him as well as I know you.) (Akkusativ)

Sie hilft mir so oft wie dir.
(She helps me as often as she helps you.) (Dativ)

Note:

The case of the noun after "wie" depends on the verb in the sentence.

2. Comparative (Komparativ)

📌 The comparative is used to compare two things where one has a higher degree.

🔹 2.1. Regular type

ℹ️ Formula:

💡 📌 Formula:

adjective + "-er" + als

Example:

Tom ist größer als Paul.
(Tom is taller than Paul.)

Dieses Auto ist teurer als das andere.
(This car is more expensive than the other one.)

Note:

"Als" is always used in the comparative.

🔹 2.2. Comparative with quantity

📌 Use "mehr ... als" when comparing quantities.

Example:

Er hat mehr Geld als ich.
(He has more money than I do.)

Sie liest mehr Bücher als ihr Bruder.
(She reads more books than her brother.)

Note:

Use "mehr" instead of adding "-er" when comparing quantities of nouns.

3. Superlative (Superlativ)

📌 The superlative expresses the highest degree within a group.

ℹ️ Formula:

💡 📌 Formula:

am + adjective + "-sten" (adverbial form)
der/die/das + adjective + "-ste" (adjectival form)

Example:

Tom ist am größten.
(Tom is the tallest.)

Das ist das teuerste Auto.
(This is the most expensive car.)

Note:

"Am + -sten" is used when there is no accompanying noun.
"Der/die/das + -ste" is used when there is a noun.

📍 4. Special adjectives

📌 Some adjectives change irregularly in the comparative and superlative.

Table of irregular adjectives:

Base form	Comparative	Superlative
gut (good)	besser	am besten
viel (much)	mehr	am meisten
wenig (little)	weniger	am wenigsten
hoch (high)	höher	am höchsten
nah (near)	näher	am nächsten

Example:

Dieser Film ist besser als der andere.
(This film is better than the other one.)

Das ist das beste Buch, das ich je gelesen habe.
(This is the best book I have ever read.)

Note:
Some adjectives change their stem in the comparative and superlative.

🎯 5. Summary: Important notes

ℹ️ Note

💡

Equality: so + Adj + wie (Maria ist so klug wie Tom.)
Comparative: Adj + "-er" + als (Maria ist klüger als Tom.)
Superlative: am + Adj + "-sten" (Maria ist am klügsten.)

Comparing quantities:

so viel(e) ... wie (so viele Bücher wie ...)
mehr ... als (mehr Geld als ...)

Some adjectives change irregularly in the comparative and superlative.

ℹ️ Exercise

Practice exercise

Apply what you have just learned about the comparative and superlative:

📝 Vokabular A2 - Time

Practice comparisons with the vocabulary commonly used in the lesson Leben und Lernen.