To evaluate habits or describe how an action is performed, we use comparative adverbs. Unlike adjectives (which describe nouns), adverbs describe the verb itself.
Frequency and Quantity
To describe doing an action more frequently or in greater or lesser amounts, use the comparative adverbs oftar (more often), meira (more), and minna (less).
| We practice more often now. | Við æfum oftar núna. |
| I am practicing more. | Ég er að æfa meira. |
| She ate less when she was sick. | Hún borðaði minna þegar hún var veik. |
You will frequently see the word en, which can act as a conjunction meaning "but" when connecting two actions.
| We learn more but speak less. | Við lærum meira en tölum minna. |
Quality of Action
Just like in English, the adverbs for doing something badly or well have irregular comparative forms: verr (worse) and betur (better).
| The dog sleeps worse under the table. | Hundurinn sefur verr undir borðinu. |
| I sleep better now. | Ég sef betur núna. |
Speed and Duration
Many comparative adverbs end in -ar or -ur. Use hraðar (faster), hægar (slower), and lengur (longer) to describe changes in pace or time.
| They run faster in the forest. | Þau hlaupa hraðar í skóginum. |
| You drive slower in the rain. | Þú keyrir hægar í rigningunni. |
| We are waiting longer today. | Við bíðum lengur í dag. |
Rare Habits and Direct Comparisons
To describe something that does not happen often, use the adverb sjaldan (rarely).
| We rarely talk about the work. | Við tölum sjaldan um vinnuna. |
When directly comparing how two different subjects perform an action, use en to mean "than".
| She runs faster than the boy. | Hún hleypur hraðar en strákurinn. |