Forming Superlative Adjectives
To say that something is the "most" or has the highest degree of a quality (like "biggest", "oldest", or "most famous"), you use a superlative adjective. In Farsi, this is done by attaching the suffix ترین to the end of a regular adjective.
| deep | عمیقamigh |
If we add ترین to the adjective above, it becomes عمیقترین (deepest).
Placement Before the Noun
There is a very important rule for superlatives in Farsi: they break the normal adjective rules.
Regular adjectives come after the noun and are linked with an Ezafe (the hidden connector vowel). However, superlative adjectives must be placed directly before the noun, and you do not use an Ezafe to connect them.
For example, to say "the most beautiful lake", the adjective comes first and flows straight into the noun:
| The most beautiful lake is in that forest. | زیباترین دریاچه در آن جنگل است.zibâtarin daryâche dar ân jangal ast. |
| This is the biggest building in the city. | این بزرگترین ساختمان شهر است.in bozorg-tarin sâkhtemân shahr ast. |
World Records and Extremes
This simple pre-noun structure makes it easy to talk about geography, natural wonders, and extremes. Notice how the superlative adjective and noun stay locked together as a pair.
| This is the deepest ocean on Earth. | این عمیقترین اقیانوس روی زمین است.in amiqtarin oqyânus ruye zamin ast. |
| That is the longest river in this country. | آن طولانیترین رودخانه در این کشور است.ân tulâni-tarin rudkhâne dar in keshvar ast. |
| They want to see the city's most famous building. | آنها میخواهند معروفترین ساختمان شهر را ببینند.ânhâ mikhâhand ma'ruf-tarin sâkhtemân-e shahr râ bebinand. |
The exact same word order applies when asking questions about extremes or choosing between objects:
| Which mountain has the tallest peak? | کدام کوه بلندترین قله را دارد؟kodâm kuh bolandtarin qolle râ dârad? |