Comparing Actions: Superlative Adverbs
When you want to describe who performs an action "the fastest" or "the most skillfully," use a superlative adverb.
| Who skates the most skillfully in this competition? | Kuka luistelee taitavimmin tässä kilpailussa? |
In Finnish, you create superlative adverbs by adding the suffix -immin to the adjective's stem.
For most basic adjectives, the final vowel of the stem drops to make room for the -immin ending. For example, taitava (skillful) becomes taitavimmin (the most skillfully), and nopea (fast) becomes nopeimmin (the fastest).
| She spins the fastest in the pirouette. | Hän pyörii nopeimmin piruetissa. |
Stem Changes
Just like with other Finnish suffixes, certain adjective types undergo predictable stem changes before adding -immin:
- Words ending in -käs: The stem strengthens (e.g., tyylikäs → tyylikkää-). The final vowel drops, forming tyylikkäimmin (the most stylishly).
| This competitor jumps the most stylishly. | Tämä kilpailija hyppää tyylikkäimmin. |
- Words ending in -is: The stem changes (e.g., kaunis → kaunii-) and the i shifts to an e, resulting in kauneimmin (the most beautifully).
| These are the new competitors, and they land the most beautifully. | Nämä ovat uudet kilpailijat, ja he laskeutuvat kauneimmin. |
- Words ending in -nen: The -nen ending becomes -is-, making huolellinen (careful) into huolellisimmin (the most carefully).
| The young boy lands from the jump the most carefully. | Nuori poika laskeutuu hypystä huolellisimmin. |
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