Multiplied comparisons (dubbelt så ... som)

Multiplied comparisons

When you want to say something is "twice as big" or "half as expensive," Swedish uses a structure very similar to English: [multiplier] + så + [adjective/adverb] + som.

Twice as (dubbelt så)

To say "twice as", use dubbelt så. Remember that the adjective must still agree in gender and number with the noun you are describing.

For an ett-word like an aquarium (ett akvarium), you will use the ett-form of the adjective (e.g., stort).

Half as and times as (hälften så, gånger så)

To say "half as," use hälften så. For specific multipliers like "three times as," use the number followed by gånger så.

Let's see this with an en-word like a pump (en pump), where the adjective takes its base form (kraftfull).

And here is "half as" in action:

When describing multiple things, make sure your adjective takes the plural -a ending (like långa for "long").

Comparing quantities (mycket vs. många)

You can also compare amounts by inserting mycket (much) or många (many) after your multiplier.

Use mycket for uncountable nouns (like water or sand):

Use många for countable nouns (like individual corals):

Describing actions (Adverbs)

When you are comparing how an action is done (an adverb) rather than describing a noun, the structure is identical. Adverbs in Swedish take the same form as the ett-word adjective, typically ending in -t (e.g., snabbt for "fast").