Language/Latin/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Adjectives

◀️ Adjective Declensions — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Food Items ▶️

Latin → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Latin is an ancient language that continues to fascinate people around the world. As a language teacher with over 20 years of experience, I have seen countless students fall in love with Latin as they learn more about its grammar, vocabulary, and culture. In this lesson, we will focus on comparative and superlative adjectives, an important topic in Latin grammar.

Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Definite Articles in Latin & Latin Nouns.

What are Comparative and Superlative Adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. In Latin, adjectives have different forms based on the gender, number, and case of the noun they are modifying. Comparative and superlative adjectives are special forms of adjectives used to compare two or more things. Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlative adjectives are used to compare one thing to everything else in its class.

For example, in English, we can say "the car is fast, but the motorcycle is faster." "Faster" is the comparative form of the adjective "fast." We can also say "the motorcycle is the fastest." "Fastest" is the superlative form of the adjective "fast."

In Latin, comparative and superlative adjectives have their own forms that must agree with the noun they are modifying in gender, number, and case. We will look at these forms in more detail below.

Comparative Adjectives

To form the comparative degree of an adjective in Latin, you usually add the suffix -ior (masculine and feminine) or -ius (neuter) to the stem of the adjective. The stem of the adjective is usually the masculine nominative singular form.

Here are some examples:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
altior	AHL-tee-or	taller, higher
clarior	KLAH-ree-or	clearer, more famous
fortior	FOR-tee-or	stronger
iucundior	yoo-KOON-dee-or	more pleasant

In addition to adding the -ior/-ius suffix, some adjectives have irregular comparative forms. Here are some examples:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
bonus	BOH-nus	better
malus	MAH-lus	worse
magnus	MAHG-noos	greater, larger
parvus	PAR-woos	smaller
multus	MOOL-toos	more, many

It is important to note that comparative adjectives are often used with the preposition "quam" to introduce the second element of the comparison. For example:

• Publius est altior quam Gaius. (Publius is taller than Gaius.)
• Vir clarior rege est. (The man is more famous than the king.)

Superlative Adjectives

To form the superlative degree of an adjective in Latin, you usually add the suffix -issimus (masculine), -issima (feminine), or -issimum (neuter) to the stem of the adjective. The stem of the adjective is usually the masculine nominative singular form.

Here are some examples:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
altissimus	AHL-tis-see-moos	tallest, highest
clarissima	KLAH-ris-see-ma	most famous, brightest
fortissimum	for-TIS-see-moom	strongest, bravest
iucundissimum	yoo-KOON-dis-see-moom	most pleasant, cheerful

Some adjectives have irregular superlative forms. Here are some examples:

Latin	Pronunciation	English
bonus	BOH-nus	best
malus	MAH-lus	worst
magnus	MAHG-noos	greatest, largest
parvus	PAR-woos	smallest, briefest

Like comparative adjectives, superlative adjectives are often used with the preposition "quam" to introduce the comparison. For example:

• Publius est altissimus omnium. (Publius is the tallest of all.)
• Vir clarissimus rege est. (The man is the most famous of all.)

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

In addition to the irregular forms mentioned above, there are several adjectives that have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some examples:

Latin	Pronunciation	Comparative	Superlative
bonus	BOH-nus	melior	optimus
malus	MAH-lus	peior	pessimus
magnus	MAHG-noos	maior	maximus
parvus	PAR-woos	minor	minimus
multus	MOOL-toos	plus	plurimus

Usage of Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative and superlative adjectives are often used in Latin to compare people, things, or qualities. They are also used in many expressions and idioms. Here are some common examples:

• magis ... quam - more ... than
• minus ... quam - less ... than
• potior ... quam - preferable, better ... than
• ante ... quam - before ... than
• post ... quam - after ... than
• quam primum - as soon as possible
• quanto - how much

Here are some examples:

• Publius est magis clarus quam Gaius. (Publius is more famous than Gaius.)
• Tauri sunt minus fortes quam leones. (Bulls are less strong than lions.)
• Hanc villam potius quam illam emere debemus. (We should buy this villa rather than that one.)
• Caesar ante Bibaculum quam ante Vesontionem castra posuit. (Caesar set up camp before Bibaculum rather than before Vesontio.)
• Quam primum veni. (Come as soon as possible.)
• Quanto sunt multi, tanto sunt pauca. (The more there are, the less valuable they are.)

Conclusion

Comparative and superlative adjectives are an important part of Latin grammar, used to describe and compare people and things. By understanding the different forms and usage of comparative and superlative adjectives, you can take your Latin skills to the next level. In the next lesson, we will continue our study of Latin grammar with a focus on prepositions and conjunctions.

Impressive work on finishing this lesson! Explore these additional pages to enhance your understanding: Present Tense & Pronouns.

Table of Contents - Latin Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Declensions
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugations

• Present Tense
• Imperfect Tense

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Describing Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Declensions
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

  ---

Food and Dining

• Food Items
• Dining and Meals

  ---

Roman History and Mythology

• Roman Gods and Goddesses
• Famous Roman Figures

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Coordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

  ---

Roman Literature and Art

• Roman Poetry and Poets
• Roman Architecture and Art

Other Lessons

• Latin Articles
• Plurals
• Coordinating Conjunctions
• Give your Opinion
• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Case in Latin
• 0 to A1 Course
• Latin alphabet
• Adjective Declensions
• Prepositions

Sources

• Lesson 8 - Comparison of adjectives and adverbs - Latin
• How to Form Latin Superlative Adjectives

◀️ Adjective Declensions — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Food Items ▶️