Day 64 - Special Comparatives, Would Rather ~  Flashcards

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1
Q

Like English, some adjectives have special comparative forms. English speakers don’t say good gooder goodest, they say good better best.

German also has special comparatives.

Study the following list:

soon / sooner / soonest
bald / eher / am ehesten
like / more liked / most liked
gern / lieber / am liebsten
good / better / best
gut / besser / am besten
high / higher / highest
hoch / höher / am höchsten
much / more / most
viel / mehr / am meisten

Some adjectives also add an umlaut in their comparative and superlative forms. These adjectives are most often single syllables.

Study the following examples:

old / older / oldest
alt / älter / am ältesten
big / bigger / biggest
groß / größer / am größten
clever / cleverer / cleverest
klug / klüger / am klügsten
near / nearer / nearest
nah / näher / am nächsten
rude / ruder / rudest
grob / gröber / am gröbsten
hard / harder / hardest
hart / härter / am härtesten

The phrase I would rather ~ uses the subjunctive form of mögen and the comparative form of gern: Ich möchte lieber ~.

The subjunctive will be covered later, but here is a preview:
mögen (to like) becomes möchten (would like).

Study the following examples:

Would you rather eat one or two bananas?
Möchten Sie lieber eine oder zwei Bananen essen?

I would rather eat a Döner Kebab.
Ich möchte lieber einen Döner Kebab essen.

A
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2
Q

Day 64 Grammar Cards
1. like / more liked / most liked gern / lieber / am liebsten
2. good / better / best gut / besser / am besten
3. much / more / most viel / mehr / am meisten
4. I would rather… Ich möchte lieber…

A
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3
Q
  1. BALD…soon
    EHRER…sooner
    AM EHESTEN…soonest
  2. HOCH…high
    HÖHER…higher
    AM HÖCHSTEN…highest
  3. NIEDRIG…low
  4. NAH…close
  5. WEIT…far
  6. HÖFLICH…polite
  7. GROB…rude
    UNHÖFLICH…impolite
  8. WEICH…soft
  9. MUTIG…courageous / brave
  10. FEIG…cowardly
A
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4
Q
  1. I arrived sooner than her. (I was there sooner than her)
A

Ich war eher dort als sie.

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5
Q
  1. Mt. Everest is the highest mountain.
A

Mt. Everest ist der höchste Berg.

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6
Q
  1. The Dead Sea has the lowest shore.
A

Das Tote Meer hat die niedrigste Küste.

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7
Q
  1. She is closer than you.
A

Sie ist näher als du.

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8
Q
  1. You are farther away than her.
A

Du bist weiter weg als sie.

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9
Q
  1. You all are the most polite.
A

Ihr seid am höflichsten.

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10
Q
  1. They are the rudest.
A

Sie sind am gröbsten.

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11
Q
  1. This is the softest pillow.
A

Dieses Kissen ist das weichste.

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12
Q
  1. He is the bravest man I know.
A

Er ist der mutigste Mann, den ich kenne.

brave
mutig, tapfer, brav, wacker, unerschrocken, beherzt

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13
Q
  1. You are more cowardly than him.
A

Du bist feiger als er.

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