When visiting tívolíið (the amusement park), you will often want to compare the rides. Sometimes it is not enough to say a ride is faster or scarier—you need to express exactly how much faster it is.
"Much" More: Using Miklu
To say that something is "much" more [adjective], Icelandic uses the word miklu right before the comparative form of the adjective. Grammatically, this is known as a dative of difference, which conceptually translates to something being larger or faster "by much".
| The roller coaster in the amusement park is much faster now. | Rússíbaninn í tívolíinu er miklu hraðari núna. |
| This roller coaster is much steeper, so we will definitely scream! | Þessi rússíbani er miklu brattari, svo við munum örugglega öskra! |
When you want to explicitly state the two things you are comparing in the same sentence, connect them using the word en (than).
| The bumper car is much slower than the roller coaster. | Klessubíllinn er miklu hægari en rússíbaninn. |
"Somewhat" More: Using Nokkru
If the difference is less dramatic and you want to say something is "somewhat" or "a bit" more extreme, use the word nokkru before the comparative adjective.
| The haunted house was somewhat more terrifying before. | Draugahúsið var nokkru skelfilegra áður. |
| The Ferris wheel is somewhat slower than the bumper car. | Parísarhjólið er nokkru hægara en klessubíllinn. |
Combining Comparisons
Once you are comfortable with miklu and nokkru, you can easily mix and match them to perfectly describe your thrill rides—or your snacks!
| The roller coaster is much steeper and somewhat more terrifying. | Rússíbaninn er miklu brattari og nokkru skelfilegri. |
| The cotton candy here is much more awesome than the ice cream. | Kandíflosið hérna er miklu æðislegra en ísinn. |