Comparing things in German is something you'll do every day — schneller, besser, interessanter. The good news: the comparative is one of the most predictable corners of German grammar, and the pattern (-er + often an umlaut) carries you a long way.
On this page, you'll practise both regular comparatives (klein → kleiner) and the irregular ones that you simply have to memorise (gut → besser, viel → mehr). Once you're comfortable here, try the superlative exercises for the next step up.
German Comparative Exercise
Regular comparatives in German follow a straightforward pattern. To form the
comparative of an adjective, you typically add -er to the adjective's stem,
depending on the adjective's ending.
For example:
- "schnell" (fast) becomes "schneller" (faster)
- "groß" (big) becomes "größer" (bigger)
- "klug" (clever) becomes "klüger" (cleverer)
Adjectives that end in "-el" or "-er" usually add "-ler" to form the comparative:
- "hübsch" (pretty) becomes "hübscher" (prettier)
- "teuer" (expensive) becomes "teurer" (more expensive)
Regular comparatives are used to compare two things or people and are an essential part of everyday German language usage. By understanding the rules for forming regular comparatives, learners can easily express comparisons in German sentences.
German Comparative Exercise #1
Type the comparative form of the adjective shown in the hint. We'll start with everyday adjectives — schnell, groß, kalt — and a couple of irregulars sneak in at the end.
German Comparative Exercise #2
Same idea, but the adjectives are longer and a bit more abstract. Watch for the ones ending in -er and -el — they sometimes drop a vowel before the comparative ending.
Irregular Comparatives in German
Irregular comparatives in German can be a bit tricky, as they don't follow the regular pattern of adding "-er" or "-er" to the adjective like most comparatives. Instead, irregular comparatives change their stem or have completely irregular forms.
One common example is the comparative form of "good," which is "besser" instead of "guter." Similarly, "viel" becomes "mehr" for "more," and "schlecht" becomes "schlimmer" for "worse."
It's essential to memorize these irregular forms as they are frequently used in everyday German conversation and writing. Practice using them in context to become more familiar with their usage and exceptions.
Irregular German Comparative Exercise
Now for the ones that don't follow the regular -er pattern. Gut → besser, viel → mehr, hoch → höher, nah → näher — these come up so often that they need to be in your bones, not your notes.