Comparitive and superlative adjectives (Edexcel GCSE German): Revision Notes
Comparative and superlative adjectives
Comparative and superlative adjectives help you express more detailed opinions and show greater complexity in your German. These forms are particularly essential for GCSE level German where you need to compare things or express preferences in speaking and writing tasks.
Mastering comparative and superlative forms will significantly improve your ability to express nuanced opinions and make sophisticated comparisons in German. These structures are frequently tested in GCSE examinations and are crucial for achieving higher grades.
Forming comparative and superlative adjectives
German adjectives transform in systematic ways to show comparison. Understanding these patterns will help you construct more complex and impressive sentences.
Regular formation patterns
Most German adjectives follow a predictable pattern when forming comparatives and superlatives, making them relatively straightforward to learn once you know the rules.
Key Formation Rules:
For comparatives: Add -er to the adjective stem
- schnell (fast) → schneller (faster)
For superlatives: Add -(e)st to the adjective stem
- schnell (fast) → schnellst- (fastest)
| German | English | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| schnell | fast | schneller | schnellste |
| neu | new | neuer | neueste |
| klein | small | kleiner | kleinste |
| schön | beautiful | schöner | schönste |
Worked Example: Using Comparative and Superlative Forms
Starting with the adjective "schnell" (fast):
- Positive: Das Auto ist schnell. (The car is fast.)
- Comparative: Der Zug ist schneller. (The train is faster.)
- Superlative: Das Flugzeug ist das schnellste Verkehrsmittel. (The aeroplane is the fastest means of transport.)
Notice how the superlative takes the definite article "das" and the appropriate adjective ending.
Irregular forms
While regular patterns are helpful, some of the most common adjectives have irregular forms that require memorisation. These often involve umlaut changes or completely different stems.
Critical Irregular Forms to Memorise
The following adjectives undergo umlaut changes in their comparative and superlative forms:
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| alt | älter | älteste | old - older - oldest |
| jung | jünger | jüngste | young - younger - youngest |
| groß | größer | größte | big - bigger - biggest |
| lang | länger | längste | long - longer - longest |
| hoch | höher | höchste | high - higher - highest |
The most irregular form changes the stem completely:
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| gut | besser | beste | good - better - best |
Notice how gut-besser-beste follows a similar pattern to English "good-better-best" with completely different stems.
Converting superlatives to neuter nouns
German allows you to transform superlative adjectives into neuter nouns by capitalising them and using the definite article das.
Superlative Noun Formation
You can turn superlative adjectives into neuter nouns by adding a capital letter and using das:
- das Beste - "the best thing"
- das Schlimmste - "the worst thing"
You can also use etwas (something) or nichts (nothing) with adjectives that take an -es ending:
- etwas Interessantes (something interesting)
- nichts Gutes (nothing good)
Comparative and superlative adverbs
Adverbs function in almost exactly the same way as adjectives when forming comparatives and superlatives, which makes this aspect of German grammar particularly systematic.
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| schnell | schneller | am schnellsten | quickly - more quickly - most quickly |
| gut | besser | am besten | well - better - best |
Worked Example: Adverb Comparisons in Context
- Positive: Er läuft schnell. (He runs quickly.)
- Comparative: Sie läuft schneller. (She runs more quickly.)
- Superlative: Ich laufe am schnellsten. (I run the quickest/most quickly.)
Making comparisons with adverbs:
- besser als (better than)
- schöner als (more beautiful than)
Expressing preferences with gern, lieber, am liebsten
German has a special system for expressing preferences that doesn't exist in English. These three forms create an elegant way to show increasing levels of preference.
| German | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| gern | gladly/like to | Ich fahre gern Rad |
| lieber | prefer to | Ich schwimme lieber |
| am liebsten | like most of all | Am liebsten spiele ich Tennis |
Worked Example: Expressing Preferences
- Ich fahre gern Rad. ❤️ (I like cycling.)
- Ich schwimme lieber. ❤️❤️ (I prefer swimming.)
- Am liebsten spiele ich Tennis. ❤️❤️❤️ (Most of all I like playing tennis.)
The heart symbols show the increasing intensity of preference.
Word Order Rule: When using am liebsten at the start of a sentence, you must invert the verb (put it before the subject). This is a common mistake to avoid in exams.
Special superlative construction
To express "fastest of all" or "best of all", German uses a specific construction that's essential for GCSE level writing and speaking.
The "am + superlative + -en" Construction
Use am followed by the superlative adjective ending in -en:
- Mein Auto fährt am schnellsten. (My car goes the fastest of all.)
This construction is very common in German and frequently appears in GCSE examinations.
Practice exercise
Test your understanding by completing each sentence with the comparative form of the adjective in brackets:
(a) Ist deine Schwester _______ als du? (jung)
(b) Dieses Video ist _______ als das letzte. (gut)
(c) Wir finden Englisch _______ als Musik. (interessant)
(d) Der Film dauert _______ als drei Stunden. (lang)
Answers:
(a) jünger (b) besser (c) interessanter (d) länger
Key Points to Remember:
- Regular comparatives add -er, regular superlatives add -(e)st
- Irregular forms must be memorised, especially alt-älter-älteste and gut-besser-beste
- Superlatives become neuter nouns with das (das Beste, das Schlimmste)
- Adverbs follow the same patterns as adjectives for comparisons
- gern-lieber-am liebsten express increasing levels of preference, with am liebsten requiring verb inversion
- The "am + superlative + -en" construction is essential for expressing "most of all"