Superlative intensifier (lang-)

Bragging and Rivalry

Playground rivalries (metingur) are a great place to hear boasting in action.

This boy is boastful and brags a lot.
Þessi strákur er montinn og gortar mikið.
There is a lot of rivalry here and the kids brag a lot.
Það er mikill metingur hér og krakkarnir gorta mikið.

The Superlative Intensifier "lang-"

When simply being "the best" isn't enough, you can intensify a superlative adjective by attaching the prefix lang-.

Though it looks like the word for "long," when added to a superlative, lang- translates to "by far" or "easily." For example, bestur (best) becomes langbestur (by far the best).

There is a lot of rivalry about who is by far the best.
Það er mikill metingur um hver er langbestur.
My dad is by far the best and I am proud of him.
Pabbi minn er langbestur og ég er hreykinn af honum.

Building Extreme Superlatives

You can attach lang- to almost any superlative adjective. The adjective still declines to agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, just as it normally would (e.g., masculine -astur versus feminine -ust).

It is your brother who is by far the biggest and strongest.
Það er bróðir þinn sem er langstærstur og langsterkastur.
My grandpa was by far the strongest, but your dad was by far the fastest.
Afi minn var langsterkastur en pabbi þinn var langfljótastur.
My mom is by far the smartest in the family.
Mamma mín er langklárust í fjölskyldunni.
My brother continues to brag, but my dad is by far the funniest.
Bróðir minn heldur áfram að gorta en pabbi minn er langfyndnastur.