Comparison of Adjectives
Adjectives have three degrees:
-
Positive
-
Comparative
-
Superlative
Positive adjectives
are
-
The normal adjectives you already
know
-
They come in two declension groups:
-
1st/2nd
(carus, -a, -um)
-
3rd (tristis, triste)
Comparative Adjectives
are
-
formed by adding –ior to the positive
stem
-
car-ior, carius
-
trist-ior, tristius
-
translated in –er (or more ***,
or rather ***)
-
3rd declension only
-
followed by a quam clause
-
nemo carior mihi quam filius
est carus
-
or followed by an ablative of
comparison
-
the rules of noun-adjective agreement
apply
Superlative Adjectives
are
-
formed by adding –issim- to the
positive stem
-
car-issim-us, -a, -um
-
trist-issim-us, -a, -um
-
translated in –est (or most ***,
or very ***)
-
1st/2nd
declension only
-
followed by a partitive genitive
-
filius meus carissimus omnium
est
-
quam + superlative: as *** as
possible
-
the rules of noun-adjective agreement
apply
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