Der Komparativ und Superlativ von Adjektiven

German Adjectives: How to Compare Things (A1 Guide)

Do you want to say that something is bigger, faster, or the best in German? To do this, you need to learn the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. Don’t worry—it is very easy!

Here is how you can start comparing things in German today.

1. The Normal Form (Positiv)

This is the basic word you use to describe something.

• klein (small)

• schön (beautiful)

• schnell (fast)

2. How to Make Things “More” (Komparativ)

To compare two things (like “bigger” or “faster”), just add -er to the end of the German adjective. Then, use the word als (than) to connect them.

• Example 1: Das Auto ist schneller als das Fahrrad. (The car is faster than the bike.)

• Example 2: Sie ist schöner als er. (She is more beautiful than he is.)

3. How to Say Something is “The Most” (Superlativ)

To say something is “the biggest” or “the fastest”, put the word am before the adjective and add -sten to the end.

• Example 1: Das Auto ist am schnellsten. (The car is the fastest.)

• Example 2: Das Haus ist am größten. (The house is the biggest.)

Easy Summary Table for Beginners

⚠️ Watch Out: Special A1 Words

A few short adjectives get an Umlaut ($\text{ä}$, $\text{ö}$, $\text{ü}$) when you change them.

• groß (big) -> größer (bigger) -> am größten (the biggest)

• alt (old) -> älter (older) -> am ältesten (the oldest)

Vocabulary Review

• Das Haus — The house

• Das Auto — The car

• Mehr — More

• Als — Than