In Finnish, the basic comparative suffix ("bigger") is -mpi, and the superlative ("biggest") is -in. Use kuin for "than".
Some of the most common adjectives have irregular stems or completely unique forms.
| Base Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| hyvä (good) | parempi | paras |
| pitkä (long) | pidempi | pisin |
| suuri (large) | suurempi | suurin |
| paljon (a lot) | enemmän | eniten |
| The longest dinosaur was also the largest. | Pisin dinosaurus oli myös suurin. |
| I like this dinosaur more than that one. | Pidän tästä dinosauruksesta enemmän kuin tuosta. |
| The best dinosaur is perhaps a herbivore. | Paras dinosaurus on ehkä kasvinsyöjä. |
Vowel Changes
For adjectives ending in -a or -ä, the final vowel changes to -e- in the comparative, and drops out or changes to -i- in the superlative.
- vanha (old) -> vanhempi -> vanhin
- paha (bad) -> pahempi -> pahin
| This is the oldest fossil in the museum. | Tämä on museon vanhin fossiili. |
| Which predator is the worst? | Mikä peto on pahin? |
Declining Comparatives
Like all adjectives, comparatives decline to match the case of the noun they describe. The -mpi suffix undergoes consonant gradation (often softening to -mma-).
For example, parempi (better) becomes paremman in the genitive or accusative case.
| We found a better fossil than you. | Löysimme paremman fossiilin kuin te. |
Other common adjectives undergo heavy stem changes before adding the comparative endings:
- lyhyt (short) -> lyhyempi -> lyhin
| The shortest skeleton is in that room. | Lyhin luuranko on tuossa huoneessa. |
| This dinosaur has a longer neck than that one. | Tällä dinosauruksella on pidempi kaula kuin tuolla. |
Plural Comparatives
When comparing plural nouns, the comparative adjective must be in the plural partitive case. The standard comparative suffix becomes -mpia or -mpiä.
| Herbivores are often larger than predators. | Kasvinsyöjät ovat usein suurempia kuin pedot. |