Adjectives: Comparatives and Superlatives

01

The Comparative: -esnis / -esnė

Replace the adjective ending with -esnis (masculine) or -esnė (feminine):

• geras → geresnis (better), didelis → didesnis (bigger)
• gražus → gražesnis (more beautiful), pigus → pigesnis (cheaper)
• jaunas → jaunesnis (younger), senas → senesnis (older)

• Šis namas didesnis.

  This house is bigger.

• Noriu geresnio kambario.

  I want a better room.

Like any adjective, the comparative still agrees with its noun in gender, number and case.

02

Saying "Than"

To compare with something, use už followed by the accusative, or the words nei / negu:

• Jis vyresnis už mane.

  He is older than me.

• Kava skanesnė nei arbata.

  The coffee is tastier than the tea.

• Šiandien šilčiau negu vakar.

  Today is warmer than yesterday.

03

The Superlative: -iausias / -iausia

For "the most", use the ending -iausias (masculine) or -iausia (feminine):

• geras → geriausias (best), jaunas → jauniausias (youngest)
• gražus → gražiausias (most beautiful), didelis → didžiausias (biggest)

• Tai geriausias filmas.

  This is the best film.

• Ji jauniausia šeimoje.

  She is the youngest in the family.

04

Comparing Adverbs

Adverbs compare in a parallel way, ending in -iau for the comparative:

• greitai → greičiau (faster), daug → daugiau (more), anksti → anksčiau (earlier)

• Eik greičiau!

  Walk faster!

• Noriu daugiau.

  I want more.

• Atėjau anksčiau.

  I came earlier.

05

Saying "As … As"

For equality - "as big as", "the same as" - Lithuanian uses toks pat … kaip (such / the same … as) with the plain adjective:

• Jis toks pat aukštas kaip aš.

  He is as tall as I am.

• Tokia pat kaina.

  The same price.

06

No "Good, Better, Best"

English swaps in a whole different word for the degrees of good. Lithuanian never does that: the root stays where it is and only the ending moves, so there is no separate list of irregular comparatives to learn:

• geras → geresnis → geriausias

  good → better → best. (all three on ger-)

• daug → daugiau → daugiausia

  much → more → most.

07

A Note on Stems

What can move is the stem. A few common adjectives shorten theirs - didelis (big) loses its -el- to give didesnis and didžiausias - but the endings themselves stay completely regular. Once you hear -esnis or -iausias, you know exactly what is meant, whatever happens to the root.