Comparative and superlative adjectives in Egyptian Arabic
Elative forms of adjectives
In Arabic, there are elative forms of adjectives that are used for both comparisons (ex. "bigger") and superlatives (ex. "best"). Elative adjectives are invariable and take three regular forms:
1. أفعل (af3al) - this is the most common form.
| كبير (kibiir) | أكبر (akbar) |
| big | bigger |
| كتير (kitiir) | أكتر (aktar) |
| many | more |
| فقير (fa'iir) | أفقر (af'ar) |
| poor | poorer |
| جميل (gamiil) | أجمل (agmal) |
| pretty | prettier |
| سهل (sahl) | أسهل (ashal) |
| easy | easier |
| صعب (Sa3b) | أصعب (aS3ab) |
| hard, difficult | harder |
| طويل (Tawiil) | أطول (aTwal) |
| tall, long | taller, longer |
| طيب (Tayyib) | أطيب (aTyab) |
| nice | nicer |
2. أفعى (af3a) - corresponds to adjectives that end in ـي (-i) or ـو (-w).
| حلو (Helw) | أحلى (aHla) |
| sweet, nice | sweeter, nicer |
| عالي (3aali) | أعلى (a3la) |
| high | higher |
| غالي (ġaali) | أغلى (aġla) |
| expensive | more expensive |
| ذكي (zaki) | أذكى (azka) |
| smart | smarter |
3. أفعلّ (afa3ll) - corresponds to adjectives with a doubled/geminate root.
| جديد (gediid) | أجد (agadd) |
| new | newer |
| مهم (mohimm) | أهم (ahamm) |
| important | more important |
| خفيف (xafiif) | أخف (axaff) |
| light | lighter |
| قليل ('aliil) | أقل (a'all) |
| few | less, fewer |
| لذيذ (laziiz) | ألذ (alazz) |
| delicious | more delicious |
There is an irregular comparative:
| كويس (kwayyis) | أحسن (aHsan) |
| good | better |
Forming comparative and superlative statements
To form a comparison (between two things) in Arabic, you use the elative adjective followed by من (min).
This shirt is more expensive than that one.
حسين أطول مني (Hussein aTwal minni)
Hussein is taller than me.
To form a superlative (comparing one thing to multiple other things), you can use the elative adjective followed by an indefinite noun. This has a basic "the [adj]est [noun]" meaning.
He's the youngest boy.
دي أرخص جاكيتة (di arxaS žakitta)
This is the cheapest jacket.
القاهرة أكبر مدينة في مصر (il-qaahira akbar mediina fi maSr)
Cairo is the biggest city in Egypt.
For another kind of superlative, you can use the elative adjective followed by a definite plural noun. This has a "the [adj]est of (all) the [nouns]" meaning.
He's the youngest of the boys in the class
دي أرخص الجاكيتات في المحل (di arxaS iž-žakittaat fil-maHall)
This is the cheapest of the jackets in the shop.
القاهرة أكبر المدن في مصر (il-qaahira akbar il-mudun fi maSr)
Cairo is the biggest of the cities in Egypt.
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