Comparing things to each other can be done in many ways. This article is a more generalized view of all the ways in which we can compare. We’ll go through the different Finnish comparative forms (e.g. the comparative and the superlative). We will also take a look at which elements of language can be inflected in these comparative forms (e.g. adjectives and adverbs).

1. The Three Comparative Forms

There are three ways in which you can compare “things” to one another: you can compare how they are the same, you can compare how one is better than the other, and you can compare how one is the best of all. These three Finnish comparative forms are called the positive, the comparative and the superlative.

2. Which Language Elements Can Have Comparative Forms?

Adjectives are of course the first language element you come up with when thinking of the comparative and superlative (e.g. suuri : suurempi : suurin; vaikea : vaikeampi : vaikein).

Adverbs can also be inflected in the comparative and superlative (e.g. paljon : enemmän : eniten; usein : useammin : useimmin). The same is true for postpositions (e.g. lähellä : lähempänä: lähimpänä; takana : taempana : taimpana).

Even nouns (though very rarely) can be compared (e.g. keväällä : keväämpänä; syksyllä : syksymmällä).

However, some words just can’t have a comparative and/or a superlative. You can use your own language as a reasoning ground: something can be free, but can something else be more free than that? Someone can be unique; but can someone be more unique than someone else? Someone can be unemployed, but is there a way for someone else to be more unemployed?

3. The Formation of Finnish Comparative Forms

3.1. The Comparative of Adjectives

The comparative expresses that something has more of a certain quality than something else. The marker for the comparative is –mpi. When inflecting a comparative, this marker will become -mpa/mpä-, -mma/mmä- and -mmi-. Adjectives can be inflected in all the cases. Below, you can find the partitive, inessive and plural inessive cases.

Learn more about the comparative of adjectives here.

3.2. The Comparative of Adverbs

The comparative of adverbs has the marker -mmin. Adverbs in general can’t be inflected in any of the cases, so they won’t inflect when they’re in their comparative forms either.

Learn more about the comparative (and superlative) of adverbs here.

3.3. The Comparative of Postpositions

While I’m making this a separate category, you will only find those postpositions here that can appear on their own without a genitive. As such, we’re not really dealing with postpositions, but rather with postpositions used as adverbs.

These postpositions have warranted a category on their own – separate from other adverbs – because they can inflect in more cases than adverbs: the location cases (kaukana : kauas : kaukaa).

You can read more about the -s ending for the mihin in this article about the s-lative.

4. The Formation of Superlative Forms

The superlative is used to express that something is the most of something (e.g. most beautiful, hardest).

4.1. The Superlative of Adjectives

The marker of adjectives in the superlative is –in. The adjective’s superlative can inflect in all the cases. When doing so, its markers are –impa/-impä-, –imma/-immä- and -immi-. Below, you can find the partitive, inessive and plural inessive case. However, these superlatives can inflect in all the cases.

Learn more about the superlative of adjectives here.

4.2. The Superlative of Adverbs

The superlative of adverbs has the marker -immin. Adverbs in general can’t be inflected in any of the cases, so they won’t inflect when they’re in their comparative forms either.

Learn more about the superlative (and the comparative) of adverbs here.

4.3. The Superlative of Postpositions

While I’m making this a separate category, you will only find those postpositions here that can appear on their own without a genitive. As such, we’re not really dealing with postpositions, but rather with adverbs.

These postpositions have warranted a category on their own – separate from other adverbs – because they can inflect in more cases than adverbs: in the location cases (kaukana : kauas : kaukaa).

5. Full Paradigm Example

Below, you can find the full paradigm of the adjective nuori. Marked in purple is the plural marker -i-. Marked in green is the superlative marker -i-. In addition to the compact overview below, I also have a different page with examples here.

That’s it for all the Finnish comparative forms! Hopefully this overview helped you!

Related posts:

The Ablative Case (Miltä) – Finnish Grammar Finnish Question Words – Interrogative Pronouns Finnish Comparative and Superlative of Adverbs Finnish Superlative of Adjectives – Superlatiivi