Usually, the superlative form of an adjective is used to compare things ("the biggest diamond"). But sometimes, we want to express an extremely high degree of a quality without making a direct comparison. This is called the absolute superlative.
In Swedish, you can create the absolute superlative by using strong intensifying adverbs before a regular adjective. Two of the most common are ytterst (extremely, utterly) and utomordentligt (exceptionally, extraordinarily). Place these directly before the adjective you want to intensify:
| The gemologist assesses that the diamond is extremely valuable. | Gemmologen bedömer att diamanten är ytterst värdefull. |
| Through the loupe, we see an exceptionally high clarity. | Genom luppen ser vi en utomordentligt hög klarhet. |
| An extremely rare gemstone was found in Africa. | Det hittades en ytterst sällsynt ädelsten i Afrika. |
Using "allra" with superlatives
Another way to form the absolute superlative is by placing the word allra (very) directly in front of an adjective that is already in its superlative form. This emphasizes that something is of the absolute peak degree, translating to "the very [highest/best]":
| The gemologist works with gemstones of the very highest quality. | Gemmologen arbetar med ädelstenar av allra högsta kvalitet. |
Agreement
The intensified adjective still follows standard agreement rules, changing its ending to match the gender and number of the noun it describes.
For example, vackert (beautiful) takes a -t ending because it refers to något (something), which acts as an ett-word:
| It is exciting to look through the loupe at something exceptionally beautiful. | Det är spännande att titta genom luppen på något utomordentligt vackert. |
| A flawless diamond with a perfect cut is extremely expensive. | En felfri diamant med en perfekt slipning är ytterst dyr. |