In Finnish, the comparative form of an adjective (like "stronger") is formed by adding the suffix -mpi to the word's stem.
The Vowel Shift: -a / -ä to -e-
When a two-syllable adjective ends in -a or -ä, that final vowel mutates into -e- before the -mpi suffix.
| Adjective | Meaning | Comparative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| vahva | strong | vahvempi | stronger |
| tyhmä | stupid | tyhmempi | stupider |
| vanha | old | vanhempi | older |
| This hero has a stronger superpower. | Tällä sankarilla on vahvempi supervoima. |
| The older and stupider villain won the battle. | Vanhempi ja tyhmempi roisto voitti taistelun. |
Consonant Gradation
Because -mpi starts with two consonants, it closes the preceding syllable. This triggers consonant gradation (the weak grade) in the stem.
For example, in synkkä (gloomy), the double kk weakens to k, and the final ä changes to e, resulting in synkempi (gloomier).
| The new hero is gloomier than the other one. | Uusi sankari on synkempi kuin toinen. |
More Comparisons
This vowel shift applies to many common adjectives, such as laaja (wide) becoming laajempi and paha (bad) becoming pahempi (worse).
| This ability is wider. | Tämä kyky on laajempi. |
| The battle is worse without a cape. | Taistelu on pahempi ilman viittaa. |
| The hero's cape is gloomier and wider. | Sankarin viitta on synkempi ja laajempi. |
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