Chapter 9 · Words That Change (Inflection)

Comparing Things

How do I say bigger, biggest, better, and best?

3 min readUpdated 2026-07-11

This chapter teaches Swedish adjective comparison: big, bigger, biggest.

-> -> /

big -> bigger -> biggest

How do you compare one noun with another?

a big city

a bigger city

the biggest city

Regular Comparative: `-are`

Many adjectives form the comparative with -are:

snabbsnabbare

dyrdyrare

kortkortare

viktigviktigare

Longer adjectives such as intressant allow intressantare, but the phrase form mer intressant is at least as natural. When an adjective is long or feels style-sensitive, mer/mest is the safer neutral choice.

Adjectives ending in weak -er, -el, or -en often drop the weak e:

vackervackrare

enkelenklare

öppenöppnare

Adjectives ending in -sam often double m:

långsamlångsammare

ensamensammare

Regular Superlative: `-ast` and `-aste`

The short form often uses -ast; the definite/plural form often uses -aste.

snabbsnabbastsnabbaste

viktigviktigastviktigaste

vackervackrastvackraste

långsamlångsammastlångsammaste

Use the long form in definite or plural contexts:

den snabbaste bilen
de snabbaste bilarna

Common Stored Comparisons

Some of the most useful adjectives are irregular. Learn them as a table.

Base	Comparative	Superlative
`stor`	`större`	`störst/största`
`hög`	`högre`	`högst/högsta`
`låg`	`lägre`	`lägst/lägsta`
`lång`	`längre`	`längst/längsta`
`ung`	`yngre`	`yngst/yngsta`
`gammal`	`äldre`	`äldst/äldsta`
`liten`	`mindre`	`minst/minsta`
`bra/god`	`bättre`	`bäst/bästa`
`dålig/illa/ond`	`sämre/värre`	`sämst/värst`
`mycken/många`	`mer/fler`	`mest/flest`

What can go wrong

Do not generate comparison only from spelling. Some adjectives prefer phrase comparison with mer and mest, especially in style-sensitive cases:

mer modern
mest praktisk
mer typisk
mest typisk

Adjectives ending in -isk, such as typisk, often sound more natural with mer/mest in learner-facing Swedish. Suffix forms can occur, but mer typisk and mest typisk are safer neutral choices.

The textbook rule is: use suffix forms for known suffix families, and store common irregulars.

Chapter summary

Comparison	Common form	Example
more	`-are`	`snabbare`
most, indefinite/predicative	`-ast`	`snabbast`
most, definite/plural	`-aste`	`den snabbaste bilen`
long or style-sensitive adjective	`mer/mest` + base	`mer typisk`
high-frequency irregular	stored row	`bra -> bättre -> bäst`

Practice

Study check

7 questions

1
snabb
Your answer
2
vacker
Your answer
3
stor
Your answer
4
bra
Your answer
5
comparative of gammal
Your answer
6
a safe neutral comparative of typisk
Your answer
7
definite superlative of vacker in den ___ staden
Your answer

Finished this chapter?Your progress stays on this device.

Regular Comparative: -are

Regular Superlative: -ast and -aste

Common Stored Comparisons

Chapter summary

Study check

Regular Comparative: `-are`

Regular Superlative: `-ast` and `-aste`