Komparativ & Superlativ (comparative and superlative)

In German, when you compare one thing with another you use the comparative form of the adjective (Komparativ), and when you say which one in a group comes out on top you use the superlative form (Superlativ). Most adjectives form the comparative with -er: "Der Zug ist schneller als das Auto" (The train is faster than the car), "Maria ist am schnellsten" (Maria is the fastest). But some adjectives are irregular and have to be learnt: gut → besser → am besten, viel → mehr → am meisten, gern → lieber → am liebsten. Adjectives such as alt, jung and groß also take an Umlaut: "älter", "am ältesten". Choosing "als" for a comparison and "so … wie" for equality is another important part of this topic.

In comparative sentences you usually get stuck in two places: irregular forms (besser, mehr, lieber) and adjectives that take an Umlaut (älter, größer). Then there is the question of whether "als" or "so … wie" comes next. Because you see the correct form and the reason as soon as you complete a sentence in the exercise, you take these points in by using them rather than by reading rules. Since you try the forms out in sentences instead of memorising them one by one, the "am …sten" structure settles in quickly. If you are preparing for Goethe-Zertifikat A2 or telc A2 and want to make everyday comparisons like "this one is better, that one is the cheapest", this is exactly the right practice. You can go back to the same sentence and try again as often as you like.