With the comparative and superlative you compare and express what is best. The formation is regular, apart from a few exceptions you should know. Here comes the overview.
Forming the comparative and superlative
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You form the comparative mostly with -er, the superlative with am …-sten:
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| schnell | schneller | am schnellsten |
| gut | besser | am besten |
| viel | mehr | am meisten |
| gern | lieber | am liebsten |
| hoch | höher | am höchsten |
Many short adjectives additionally take an umlaut, for example alt, älter, am ältesten. Related is the adjective declension, and what the part is about is shown in telc B2 language elements. The matching pronouns also help you when comparing.
Forming comparisons
For equality you use “so … wie”: “Er ist so groß wie ich.” For a difference you use “…er als”: “Sie ist schneller als ich.”
In the telc exam
Comparison forms are a typical gap topic. How to proceed with the language elements is in solving language elements strategically, and where the part sits in the procedure is shown by the page on the exam sections.
The bottom line
Comparative with -er, superlative with am …-sten, plus a handful of irregular forms like besser and mehr. Whoever knows those compares adjectives without hesitation.
