Comparing equals with "lika ... som"
When you want to say that two things are equal in some way, use the structure lika + adjective or adverb + som. This works exactly like "as ... as" in English.
| The climate in Norway is as cold as in Sweden. | Klimatet i Norge är lika kallt som i Sverige. |
To say that things are not equal, simply place inte before lika.
| Sweden is not as flat as Denmark. | Sverige är inte lika platt som Danmark. |
Comparing features with possessives
When comparing a specific feature of two different places or people, such as their nature or area, Swedish often uses the possessive -s on the second noun to avoid repeating the feature.
| Norway's nature is as beautiful as Sweden's. | Norges natur är lika vacker som Sveriges. |
| Sweden's area is as large as Germany's. | Sveriges yta är lika stor som Tysklands. |
Expressing differences with "än"
To say that something has more of a certain quality, use the comparative form of the adjective followed by än (than). For most adjectives, the comparative form ends in -are.
| The coast is warmer than the capital. | Kusten är varmare än huvudstaden. |
| Denmark is flatter than Norway. | Danmark är plattare än Norge. |
This structure works exactly the same way with irregular adjectives, such as stor (large) which becomes större (larger), or mycket (much) which becomes mer (more).
| Germany's population is larger than Sweden's. | Tysklands befolkning är större än Sveriges. |
| We will travel more than you. | Vi ska resa mer än du. |
Putting it together
Once you are comfortable with both structures, you can combine them to describe and compare complex landscapes.
| Sweden is larger than Denmark and as cold as Norway. | Sverige är större än Danmark och lika kallt som Norge. |