A2 · Elementary Chapter 72

Comparisons

4 Total Rules
48 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of comparing things to express preferences and describe differences with precision and ease.

  • Form regular comparatives using the -are suffix.
  • Identify and use superlative forms to highlight the 'best' or 'most'.
  • Navigate irregular comparison patterns for common Swedish adjectives.
From good to better: Elevate your descriptions today!

What You'll Learn

Comparative and superlative structures. Describing degrees of quality.

  • Comparative Structures
    Swedish comparisons usually use suffixes like English, but watch out for irregular vowel changes!
  • Superlative Structures
    Use 'den/det/de' + adjective + '-ast' to describe the extreme of a group.
  • Comparison Usage
    Think of it as the 'ER' and 'EST' of Swedish, with a few irregular twists!
  • Comparison Rules
    Use -are for 'more' and -ast for 'most' to compare things easily in Swedish.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to compare two objects using the suffix -are and the word 'än' (than).
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to identify the highest degree of a quality using -ast endings.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to use 'mer' and 'mest' for long or complex adjectives correctly.
  4. 4
    By the end you will be able to use irregular comparison forms like 'bättre' and 'större' in context.

Key Examples (8)

1

Den här boken är lika bra som den där.

This book is as good as that one.

Comparative Structures
2

Vem är äldst i din familj?

Who is oldest in your family?

Comparative Structures
3

Vilken är den snabbaste vägen till stan?

Which is the fastest way to town?

Superlative Structures
4

Det här är den godaste maten jag ätit.

This is the tastiest food I have eaten.

Superlative Structures
5

Den här boken är mer intressant.

This book is more interesting.

Comparison Usage
6

Stockholm är större än Oslo.

Stockholm is bigger than Oslo.

Comparison Usage
7

Min bil är snabbare än din.

My car is faster than yours.

Comparison Rules
8

Hon är bäst i klassen.

She is the best in the class.

Comparison Rules

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

The 'E' Drop

If an adjective ends in -el, -en, or -er (like 'vacker'), drop the 'e' before adding -are: 'vackrare'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative Structures
💡

Check the gender

Ensure your article (den/det) matches the noun gender.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative Structures
🎯

The 'än' shortcut

If you are comparing yourself to someone else, you can use 'än mig' or 'än jag'. Both are common, but 'än mig' is more frequent in spoken Swedish.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparison Usage
💡

Listen for the -are

When listening to Swedish, listen for the 're' sound at the end of words to spot comparisons.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparison Rules

Key Vocabulary (7)

än than lika equal/as bättre better sämst worst mer more billig cheap viktig important

Real-World Preview

shopping-cart

At the Electronics Store

Review Summary

  • Adjective + -are + än
  • Adjective + -ast
  • lika + [Adjective] + som
  • Varies (Memorize key forms)

Common Mistakes

In Swedish, 'än' is used for 'than' in comparisons. 'Som' is used for 'as... as' (lika snabb som).

Wrong: Han är snabbare som mig.
Correct: Han är snabbare än jag/mig.

Even though 'bra' is short, you cannot use 'mer/mest' with it because it has its own irregular forms (bättre/bäst).

Wrong: Det är den mest bra boken.
Correct: Det är den bästa boken.

Short adjectives almost always take the -are ending. 'Mer' is reserved for long adjectives or those ending in -ande/-ende.

Wrong: Min bil är mer snabb.
Correct: Min bil är snabbare.

Next Steps

You did it! Completing the A2 level is a massive achievement. Take a moment to celebrate how much your Swedish has improved since Chapter 1. You are now capable of navigating most everyday situations in Sweden!

Write a review of two movies comparing them.

Record yourself describing the best day of your life.

Continue to: The Past Perfect

Quick Practice (10)

Fix the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Det är mest snabbaste bilen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Det är den snabbaste bilen.
Definite article + suffix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Superlative Structures

Fill in the correct comparative form of 'varm'.

Idag är det ___ än igår.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: varmare
'Varm' is a regular adjective, so we add -are for the comparative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparison Usage

Choose the correct form for 'as... as'.

Jag är ___ hungrig ___ du.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: lika... som
'Lika... som' is the standard for equality.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative Structures

Fill in the comparative form of 'varm'.

Sommaren är ___ än vintern.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: varmare
Regular adjectives take -are in the comparative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative Structures

Fill in the blank.

Huset är ___ (big) än mitt.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: större
Comparative is needed.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparison Rules

Choose the correct word for 'than'.

Min bror är yngre ___ jag.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: än
Use 'än' for comparisons of inequality.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative Structures

Which one uses 'mer'?

Vilket ord är rätt?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: mer intressant
Long adjectives often use 'mer'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative Structures

Complete the definite superlative.

Det här är den ___ (billig) bilen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: billigaste
Definite superlatives before a noun end in -aste.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative Structures

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Comparing two people's height.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Han är lika lång som mig.
We use 'lika... som' for equality with the positive form of the adjective.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparison Usage

Correct the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Den här boken är mer bra.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: bättre
'Bra' is irregular and becomes 'bättre'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparative Structures

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

Use mer for adjectives with three or more syllables, or those ending in -ad or -e (e.g., mer spännande).
Both are used. än jag is more formal/grammatically traditional, while än mig is very common in spoken Swedish.
Use 'mest' for adjectives that don't take '-ast', usually long ones or participles.
Yes, when modifying a noun. If it's a predicate, you can omit it.
Use än when there is a difference (e.g., 'större än'). Use som when things are the same (e.g., 'lika stor som').
It's better to guess -are. Using mer for short words like 'varm' or 'glad' sounds very unnatural in Swedish.
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The Past Perfect
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