9. Comparison of adjectives – hyvä, parempi, paras
When comparing things to one another, you use the comparative forms of adjectives: positive (hyvä, good), comparative (parempi, better) and superlative (paras, best):
Tämä tomaatti on pienempi.
This tomato is smaller.
Tämä tomaatti on isompi.
This tomato is bigger.
Comparative
The comparative ending is -mpi and it is added to the stem of the word:
Äiti on lyhyempi kuin isä.
Mother is shorter than father.
Tyttö on iloisempi kuin poika.
The girl is happier than the boy.
Poika on pidempi kuin tyttö.
The boy is taller than the girl.
Mummo on vanhempi kuin äiti.
Grandmother is older than mother.
If the word has two syllables, a changes to e at the end of the word:
vanha
old
vanhempi
older
Superlative
When comparing three or more things to each other, you can use the superlative:
Isä on pisin.
Father is the tallest.
Mummo on vanhin.
Grandmother is the oldest.
Tyttö on pienin.
The girl is the smallest.
Äiti on kaunein.
Mother is the most beautiful.
The superlative ending is –in, and it can cause changes in the stem when added to an adjective:
pitkä -> pisin
tall -> the tallest
kaunis -> kaunein
beautiful -> the most beautiful
vanha -> vanhin
old -> the oldest
You can add endings to the comparative forms of adjectives, just like any other adjective in a clause:
Äidillä on pidemmät hiukset kuin mummolla.
Mother has longer hair than grandmother.
Nuoremmalla lapsella on nalle.
The younger child has a teddy bear.
Sometimes things are alike, and you express it like this:
Mummo ja vaari ovat yhtä pitkiä.
Grandmother and grandfather are equally tall.
Äiti on yhtä vanha kuin isä.
Mother is as old as father.