Adjective and Adverb Degrees - Overview
As we’ve discussed since the beginning of last semester, all adjectives have three aspects: gender, case, and number. To these three, we will now add a fourth: degree. The degree of the adjective indicates how much of that adjectival quality the noun described possesses, especially in relation to other nouns that also possess that quality. There are three degrees of adjectives:
- positive: the base level of an adjective
- comparative: a degree that indicates that the noun described possesses more of the adjectival quality than others. Often translated as “-er” or “more [adjective]”, and sometimes “rather [adjective]” or “too [adjective].”
- superlative: a degree that indicates that the noun described possesses the most of the adjectival quality of all nouns that possess it. Often translated as “-est” or “most [adjective]” and sometimes “very [adjective].”
Most of the adjectives with which you’ve interacted so far are in the positive degree. Now, we will learn how to form the comparative and superlative degrees and also take into account irregular formations.
We will also learn how to form adverbs from adjectival stems in the same three degrees: positive, comparative, and superlative.