Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives
Just like in English (where "good" becomes "better" and "best"), a few of the most common German adjectives have irregular forms. You will use these constantly, so they are worth memorizing!
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| gut | besser | am besten | good / better / best |
| viel | mehr | am meisten | a lot / more / most |
| hoch | höher | am höchsten | high / higher / highest |
| nah | näher | am nächsten | close / closer / closest |
Pay special attention to the spelling changes for hoch and nah:
- hoch drops its c in the comparative (höher).
- nah adds a c in the superlative (am nächsten).
Comparing Distances
Here is how nah and its forms look in action when navigating around town:
| The train station is close, but the stop is closer. | Der Bahnhof ist nah, aber die Haltestelle ist näher. |
| The museum is close, but the castle is closest. | Das Museum ist nah, aber das Schloss ist am nächsten. |
Destinations and Rankings
When talking about a travel destination (das Reiseziel), you can use the forms of gut to rank what you like:
| I like this travel destination best. | Dieses Reiseziel gefällt mir am besten. |
Talking About Amounts
Use the forms of viel to compare quantities, such as the number of tourists, or to talk about how much you do something on vacation:
| Italy has many tourists, but France has more. | Italien hat viele Touristen, aber Frankreich hat mehr. |
| What do you do the most on vacation? | Was machst du im Urlaub am meisten? |
Sightseeing and Favorites
To explore a new place, you might visit or sightsee (besichtigen) a tourist attraction (die Sehenswürdigkeit).
| Would you like to visit a tourist attraction today? | Möchtest du heute eine Sehenswürdigkeit besichtigen? |
If you want to express what activity you like doing the most, use the special superlative am liebsten.
| We like visiting historical places best. | Wir besichtigen am liebsten historische Orte. |
Heights and Views
When visiting a famous castle (die Burg) or checking out the view (der Ausblick), you will often need to use hoch:
| The castle is high, but the mountain is highest. | Die Burg ist hoch, aber der Berg ist am höchsten. |
| The tower is higher and the view is even more beautiful. | Der Turm ist höher und der Ausblick ist noch schöner. |
