A2 Swedish GrammarComparatives & Superlatives
Learn to compare things in Swedish using comparatives (bigger, smaller) and superlatives (biggest, smallest). Master the regular -are/-ast patterns and important irregular forms.
1Regular Comparatives (-are)
Swedish forms regular comparatives by adding -are to the adjective. This is similar to the English -er ending. The same form is used regardless of the noun's gender or number. Most one-syllable adjectives and many two-syllable adjectives follow this pattern.
Regular Comparative Pattern
| Adjective | Comparative | English |
|---|---|---|
| snabb | snabbare | fast → faster |
| billig | billigare | cheap → cheaper |
| vacker | vackrare | beautiful → more beautiful |
| intressant | intressantare | interesting → more interesting |
| modern | modernare | modern → more modern |
Examples
Min bil är snabbare än din.
My car is faster than yours.
snabb → snabbare + än
Detta hotell är billigare.
This hotel is cheaper.
billig → billigare
Stockholm är vackrare på sommaren.
Stockholm is more beautiful in summer.
vacker → vackrare
Boken är intressantare än filmen.
The book is more interesting than the movie.
intressant → intressantare
2Regular Superlatives (-ast)
Superlatives express the highest degree ('the most', 'the -est'). In Swedish, regular superlatives are formed by adding -ast to the adjective. When used before a noun, superlatives need the definite form: add -a after -ast and use the definite article.
Regular Superlative Pattern
| Adjective | Superlative | Definite Form |
|---|---|---|
| snabb | snabbast | den snabbaste |
| billig | billigast | det billigaste |
| vacker | vackrast | den vackraste |
| intressant | intressantast | det intressantaste |
Use -a ending when superlative comes before a noun
Examples
Hon är snabbast i klassen.
She is the fastest in the class.
snabbast (predicate position)
Det är den billigaste bilen.
It is the cheapest car.
billigaste (before noun)
Gotland är Sveriges vackraste ö.
Gotland is Sweden's most beautiful island.
vackraste before noun
Det var det intressantaste jag hört.
That was the most interesting thing I've heard.
Superlative with 'det'
3Irregular Comparisons
Some of the most common Swedish adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms. These must be memorized as they don't follow the regular pattern. Many of these irregular forms have English equivalents that are also irregular (good-better-best, bad-worse-worst).
Common Irregular Adjectives
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| bra/god | bättre | bäst | good-better-best |
| dålig | sämre | sämst | bad-worse-worst |
| stor | större | störst | big-bigger-biggest |
| liten | mindre | minst | small-smaller-smallest |
| gammal | äldre | äldst | old-older-oldest |
| ung | yngre | yngst | young-younger-youngest |
| många | fler | flest | many-more-most |
| mycket | mer | mest | much-more-most |
Examples
Det här är bättre.
This is better.
bra → bättre
Han är äldre än jag.
He is older than me.
gammal → äldre
Det är det största huset.
It is the biggest house.
stor → störst → största
Hon har flest vänner.
She has the most friends.
många → flest
4Comparison Structures
Swedish uses 'än' to mean 'than' in comparisons. For expressing equality, use 'lika...som' (as...as) and for inequality 'inte lika...som' (not as...as). The structure 'ju...desto' means 'the more...the more'.
Examples
Hon är äldre än mig.
She is older than me.
än = than
Han är lika smart som hon.
He is as smart as her.
lika...som = as...as
Det är inte lika dyrt som jag trodde.
It's not as expensive as I thought.
inte lika...som = not as...as
Ju mer du läser, desto bättre blir du.
The more you read, the better you become.
ju...desto = the more...the more