Comparing People and Things
Chapter in 30 Seconds
Master the art of comparison to express nuances and preferences like a native speaker.
- Express equality between two things using 'so... wie'.
- Differentiate items using comparative forms and 'als'.
- Identify the absolute peak of quality using superlatives.
O que você vai aprender
Ready to elevate your German and sound incredibly natural? This chapter is your ticket! Here, we’re diving deep into the art of comparing – how to express that something is
just as good asanother,
better than something else, or even the absolute best!.
You'll start by mastering so... wie to show equality, like saying You are as smart as I am.Then, we move to
als combined with adjectives ending in -er to signify that one thing is more than another. It’s crucial to know when to use an umlaut, like in älter or größer, which will make your German sound much more authentic. Plus, we’ll tackle those essential irregular adjectives that completely change their form, like gut becoming besser or gern turning into lieber – these are key to fluent conversation!
Imagine you're comparing two restaurants, or telling a friend which movie is more exciting or the best. With these skills, you can articulate your thoughts precisely, without sounding like a textbook. You'll learn how to use the am ...-sten structure when something stands alone as the best, and then how to correctly integrate der/die/das ...-stewith proper adjective declension to say
the best book or the fastest car.
By the end of this chapter, you won't just be comparing; you'll be expressing nuanced opinions and observations in German with high precision. You'll be able to compare anything and everything, enriching your conversations and confidently tackling advanced topics. Let's get your German sounding polished and perfect!
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Comparações de igualdade (so... wie)Sempre use
so... wiecom adjetivos na forma base para expressar igualdade. Oalsé para as diferenças, as coisas que sãomaisoumenos! Tenha na cabeça:so... wieé igualdade,genausoé exato, eebensoé formal. -
Comparar com 'do que' (Vergleich mit als)Use sempre
alsdepois de um adjetivo comparativo (-er) para indicar que uma coisa émais queoutra. -
Comparativos em alemão: o uso do Umlaut (älter, größer)Para adjetivos alemães de uma sílaba que terminam em 'a', 'o' ou 'u', quase sempre você vai precisar de um trema (Umlaut) na forma comparativa. Pense em
älter,größer,jünger. -
Comparativos Irregulares: melhor, mais, preferido (gut, viel, gern)Você tem três ferramentas mágicas para comparar coisas: use
besserpara qualidade,mehrpara quantidade elieberpara preferências! É assim que você se expressa como um nativo! -
O Superlativo: Sendo o Melhor (am ...-sten)Olha só, quando um adjetivo aparece sozinho na frase pra dizer que algo é 'o melhor', 'o mais rápido', etc., a regra de ouro é sempre usar a combinação fixa
am ...-sten. -
O melhor! O superlativo com artigo (der/die/das ...-ste)Os superlativos com artigos pedem tanto o marcador «-st-» quanto a
declinaçãocorreta do adjetivo para combinar com o caso e o gênero do substantivo.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
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1
By the end you will be able to: Express that two items are identical in quality using 'so... wie'.
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2
By the end you will be able to: Form the comparative of regular and umlaut-changing adjectives.
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3
By the end you will be able to: Use irregular comparatives like 'besser' and 'lieber' in natural conversation.
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4
By the end you will be able to: Construct superlative phrases both as adverbs and as attributed adjectives with correct endings.
Guia do capítulo
Overview
comparing – how to express that something is just as good asanother,
better than something else, or even the absolute best!.How This Grammar Works
more than or less than, we use als (than) with the comparative form of the adjective. This is called Vergleich mit als. The comparative form is usually created by adding -er to the adjective:the most or the best among a group, we often use am ...-sten for adverbs or when the adjective describes an action:
Common Mistakes
- 1✗ Wrong: Er ist größer wie ich.
more than or less than), German uses als, not wie. Wie is reserved for equality comparisons (so... wie).- 1✗ Wrong: Das ist das beste Buch. (When referring to it being the *best* among a group of books, but *not* declining the adjective.)
beste is correct here, the mistake often lies in forgetting to decline the adjective when it precedes a noun in the superlative. If it were, for example, the best *cars*, it would be die besten Autos. Always remember adjective declension for der/die/das ...-ste.- 1✗ Wrong: Sie ist gut als er.
Real Conversations
A
B
A
B
La Piazza das beste. Sie haben die leckerste Pizza. (In my opinion, La Piazza is the best. They have the most delicious pizza.)A
B
Quick FAQ
What's the main difference between using als and wie in German comparisons?
Wie is used for equality comparisons, meaning as... as (e.g., so groß wie). Als is used for inequality, meaning than (e.g., größer als).
Do all German adjectives take an umlaut in their comparative and superlative forms?
No, only many common adjectives with 'a', 'o', or 'u' in their stem (like alt, groß, jung) take an umlaut. Many others, especially those with other vowels or diphthongs, do not (e.g., interessant -> interessanter).
When should I use am ...-sten versus der/die/das ...-ste
?
Use am ...-sten when the superlative acts as an adverb, describing *how* something is done (e.g., am schnellsten laufen – to run the fastest). Use der/die/das ...-ste
when the superlative adjective modifies a noun (e.g., der schnellste Läufer – the fastest runner), remembering to decline it.
Cultural Context
Exemplos-chave (8)
Dein neuer Post ist genauso lustig wie der von letzter Woche.
Sua nova postagem é exatamente tão engraçada quanto a da semana passada.
Comparações de igualdade (so... wie)Die App lädt nicht so schnell wie ich erwartet habe.
O aplicativo não carrega tão rápido quanto eu esperava.
Comparações de igualdade (so... wie)Mein neues Smartphone ist viel schneller als mein altes.
Meu smartphone novo é muito mais rápido que o meu antigo.
Comparar com 'do que' (Vergleich mit als)In Berlin ist das Leben teurer als in meiner Heimatstadt.
A vida em Berlim é mais cara que na minha cidade natal.
Comparar com 'do que' (Vergleich mit als)Mein neues Smartphone ist viel stärker als mein altes.
Meu novo smartphone é muito mais potente que o meu antigo.
Comparativos em alemão: o uso do Umlaut (älter, größer)Die Schlange vor dem Club ist heute länger als sonst.
A fila na frente do clube está mais longa que o normal hoje.
Comparativos em alemão: o uso do Umlaut (älter, größer)Dieses {das|n} Upgrade ist viel `besser` als die alte {die|f} Version.
Este upgrade é muito melhor que a versão antiga.
Comparativos Irregulares: melhor, mais, preferido (gut, viel, gern)Ich schaue `lieber` {die|f} Serien auf Netflix als {der|m} Filme im {das|n} Kino.
Eu prefiro assistir séries na Netflix a filmes no cinema.
Comparativos Irregulares: melhor, mais, preferido (gut, viel, gern)Dicas e truques (4)
A Armadilha do 'Als'
Eu sou tão inteligente quanto você., sempre use:
Ich bin so klug wie du.
A Armadilha do 'wie'
besser wie. Mesmo que você ouça na rua, gramaticalmente está errado no alemão padrão. Use sempre als para do que em comparações de desigualdade: Er ist größer als ich.
A Armadilha do 'Mehr'
mais grande em vez de maior em português. O correto é sempre usar a forma com '-er' (e trema, se aplicável). "Falsch: 'mehr groß'. Richtig: 'größer'."A Armadilha do 'Als' vs 'Wie'
als', nunca 'besser wie'. Use 'wie' só quando as coisas são iguais, tipo so gut wie.Vocabulário-chave (7)
Real-World Preview
Choosing a Laptop
Review Summary
- so + Adjective + wie
- Adjective-er + als
- a/o/u -> ä/ö/ü + -er
- Memorization required
- am + Adjective + -(e)sten
- der/die/das + Adjective + -ste(n)
Erros comuns
Learners often use 'wie' because of its similarity to 'as' or because of regional dialects, but 'als' is the only correct standard for comparatives.
German uses the suffix '-er' for almost all adjectives, unlike English which uses 'more' for longer words. Also, 'alt' requires an umlaut.
If used in the accusative or dative, the ending changes (e.g., 'mit dem schnellsten Auto'). Learners often forget the adjective declension on superlatives.
Regras neste capítulo (6)
Next Steps
You've just added a massive amount of expressive power to your German. Keep practicing these comparisons in your daily life!
Compare three items on your desk using 'gut', 'besser', and 'am besten'.
Write a short review of the last two movies you saw.
Prática rápida (10)
Usain Bolt rennt ___ (schnell).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: O Superlativo: Sendo o Melhor (am ...-sten)
Find and fix the mistake:
Er hat am meisten Follower auf Instagram.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparativos Irregulares: melhor, mais, preferido (gut, viel, gern)
Ich trinke gern Tee, aber Kaffee trinke ich ___.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparativos Irregulares: melhor, mais, preferido (gut, viel, gern)
Find and fix the mistake:
Ich habe den gutsten Platz im Kino reserviert.
gutsten está errado, o correto é besten.frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: O melhor! O superlativo com artigo (der/die/das ...-ste)
Escolha a tradução correta para 'I like coffee the most.'
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: O Superlativo: Sendo o Melhor (am ...-sten)
Find and fix the mistake:
Dieser Computer ist am gutsten.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: O Superlativo: Sendo o Melhor (am ...-sten)
Berlin ist ___ Stadt Deutschlands.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: O melhor! O superlativo com artigo (der/die/das ...-ste)
Find and fix the mistake:
Mein Bruder ist älter wie ich.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparar com 'do que' (Vergleich mit als)
Find and fix the mistake:
Das Internet in diesem Hotel ist nicht so schneller wie zu Hause.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparações de igualdade (so... wie)
Choose the correct comparison:
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Comparar com 'do que' (Vergleich mit als)
Score: /10
Perguntas comuns (6)
Ich bin so schnell wie er.
A flor é tão colorida quanto a borboleta.:
Die Blume ist so farbig wie der Schmetterling.(não declina) Mas,
Eu vi um carro tão rápido quanto o seu.:
Ich sah ein so schnelles Auto wie deins.(declina, mas é uma estrutura mais avançada).
Ich arbeite als Koch) ou 'quando' (para eventos passados:
Als ich Kind war). Mas, depois de um adjetivo comparativo terminado em -er, ele sempre significa 'do que'.
Er ist größer als ich.
Alt vira älter para soar melhor.Ich fühle mich heute gesünder.
