Comparative & Superlative

In English, you switch between adding -er / -est (faster / fastest) and using more / most (more interesting / most interesting). German is far simpler: almost every adjective and adverb—no matter how long—takes -er in the comparative and -(e)st- in the superlative. You never put mehr in front of an adjective to say “more expensive” or “more interesting.”

Here is how German builds comparisons of equality, inequality, and the highest degree.

1. The Comparative (Komparativ: -er)

Form the comparative by adding -er to the base adjective. To compare two unequal things, use als (than):

• schnell → schneller — Ein Auto ist schneller als ein Fahrrad. (A car is faster than a bicycle. — das Auto, das Fahrrad)
• billig → billiger — Tee ist billiger als Kaffee. (Tea is cheaper than coffee. — der Tee, der Kaffee)
• interessant → interessanter — Dieser Roman ist interessanter als der Film. (This novel is more interesting than the film. — der Roman, der Film)

Equal Comparisons: so … wie

When two things are equal, keep the adjective in its base form and frame it with so … wie (or genauso … wie = just as … as):

• Er ist so groß wie sein Bruder. (He is as tall as his brother. — der Bruder)
• Das zweite Hotel war genauso teuer wie das erste. (The second hotel was just as expensive as the first. — das Hotel)

Dropping -e- in -el and -er Adjectives

Adjectives ending in -el (and many ending in -er after a vowel) drop their internal -e- when -er is added:

• dunkel (dark) → dunkler (darker)
• teuer (expensive) → teurer (more expensive)

2. The Superlative (Superlativ: am …-sten / der …-ste)

Just like predicative vs. attributive adjectives, the German superlative has two shapes depending on where it sits in the sentence.

Predicative & Adverbial Form: am …-(e)sten

When the superlative comes after a linking verb (sein, werden, bleiben) or describes how an action happens (not directly before a noun), use am + adjective + -(e)sten:

• Dieses Flugzeug fliegt am schnellsten. (This airplane flies the fastest. — das Flugzeug)
• Im August ist es hier am wärmsten. (In August it is warmest here. — der August)

Extra -e- rule: Adjectives ending in -d, -t, -s, -ß, -sch, -z (or -x) normally insert an extra -e- before -sten so they stay pronounceable:

• alt → am ältesten (oldest)
• kalt → am kältesten (coldest)
• heiß → am heißesten (hottest)
• kurz → am kürzesten (shortest)

Important exception: groß becomes am größten (NO extra -e-!).

Attributive Form (Before a Noun): der/die/das …-(e)ste

When the superlative stands directly before a noun, drop am and attach normal weak, mixed, or strong adjective endings after -(e)st-:

• Das ist der schnellste Zug. (That is the fastest train. — Nominative masculine: der Zug)
• Wir wohnen in der ältesten Straße der Stadt. (We live in the oldest street in the city. — Dative feminine: die Straße, die Stadt)
• Sie hat mein bestes Buch gelesen. (She read my best book. — Accusative neuter: das Buch)

(Remember: attributive comparatives also take normal case endings! For example: ein schnelleres Auto [a faster car, das Auto], mit meinem jüngeren Bruder [with my younger brother]. You can test any declined comparative or superlative in the Adjective Declension Calculator.)

3. Vowel Umlaut Shifts in Comparison

Many short, one-syllable adjectives with the stem vowels a, o, u add an umlaut (ä, ö, ü) in both the comparative and the superlative:

Not every one-syllable adjective with a, o, u takes an umlaut, however. Common non-umlauting adjectives include klar → klarer / am klarsten (clear), froh → froher / am frohsten (glad), voll → voller / am vollsten (full), bunt → bunter / am buntesten (colorful), and laut → lauter / am lautesten (loud). Also, adjectives with the diphthong au never take an umlaut (laut → lauter, schlau → schlauer).

4. Essential Irregular Comparisons

Five everyday adjectives and adverbs change their stems irregularly—memorize this short table cleanly:

Look closely at hoch: it drops -c- in the comparative (höher), brings -ch- back in the superlative (am höchsten / der höchste Berg), and drops -c- when declined as a base adjective (ein hohes Haus). Meanwhile, mehr itself never takes extra endings (mehr Zeit, mehr Geld).

Common Mistakes: Wrong vs. Right

Remember that gern / lieber / am liebsten is one of the fastest ways to sound natural when expressing preferences (Ich trinke gern Tee, lieber Kaffee und am liebsten Espresso), which ties directly into adverb types and comparison.