German Adjectives Intensification Forms, Exceptions, and Examples

Adjectives are some of the most commonly used words in the German language. They are used to modify, describe, qualify, or intensify nouns. In this article, we will explore the different intensification forms and exceptions of German adjectives and provide several examples to illustrate their use.

What are Adjectives?

Adjectives are words used to describe or modify other words, usually nouns and pronouns. They are one of the most important parts of speech and can be used to describe nouns or even other adjectives. In German, adjectives are used to modify nouns and pronouns, and can also be used to intensify nouns or pronouns.

Intensification Forms

In German, there are two forms of intensification, the comparative and the superlative.

Comparative

The comparative form is used to compare two things or people. It is formed by adding the suffix "-er" to the end of the adjective. For example, "schön" (beautiful) becomes "schöner" (more beautiful).

Superlative

The superlative form is used to compare three or more things or people. It is formed by adding the suffix "-st" to the end of the adjective. For example, "schön" (beautiful) becomes "schönst" (most beautiful).

Exceptions

There are some exceptions to the rules of intensification in German. For example, some adjectives have irregular forms. For example, "gut" (good) becomes "besser" (better) and "am besten" (best).

Another exception is some adjectives use a preposition instead of a suffix. For example, "alt" (old) becomes "älter" (older) and "am ältesten" (oldest).

Examples

Now that we have discussed the different forms of intensification and the exceptions, let's take a look at some examples of their use.

Comparative

For example, if we wanted to compare two people, we could say "Er ist schöner als sie." (He is more beautiful than her).

Superlative

If we wanted to compare three or more people, we could say "Er ist der Schönste von allen." (He is the most beautiful of all).

Exceptions

If we wanted to compare two people using an irregular form, we could say "Er ist besser als sie." (He is better than her).

If we wanted to compare three or more people using a preposition, we could say "Er ist am ältesten von allen." (He is the oldest of all).