July 2017

Prepositions in English

Classroom - English, Learn English / By

Prepositions in English

Prepositions in English

Definition

  • A preposition is a word or set of words that indicates location (in, near, beside, on top of) or some other relationship between a noun or pronoun and other parts of the sentence (about, after, besides, instead of, in accordance with). A preposition isn’t a preposition unless it goes with a related noun or pronoun, called the object of the preposition.

Examples: Let’s meet before noon. Before is a preposition; noon is its object.

We’ve never met before. There is no object; before is an adverb modifying met.

Prepositions: uses

We commonly use prepositions to show a relationship in space or time or a logical relationship between two or more people, places or things. Prepositions are most commonly followed by a noun phrase or pronoun (underlined):

The last time I saw him he was walking down the road.

I’ll meet you in the cafe opposite the cinema.

It was difficult to sleep during the flight.

It was the worst storm since the 1980s.

Give that to me.

There are over 100 prepositions in English. The most common single-word prepositions are:

about

beside

near

to

above

between

of

towards

across

beyond

off

under

after

by

on

underneath

against

despite

onto

unlike

along

down

opposite

until

among

during

out

up

around

except

outside

upon

as

for

over

via

at

from

past

with

before

in

round

within

behind

inside

since

without

below

into

than

beneath

like

through

Although most prepositions are single words, some pairs and groups of words operate like single prepositions:

They were unable to attend because of the bad weather in Ireland.

Jack’ll be playing in the team in place of me.

In addition to getting a large fine, both brothers were put in prison for three months.

I always get nervous when I have to speak in front of an audience.

We estimate that there’ll be up to 10,000 people at the concert.

The most common prepositions that consist of groups of words are:

ahead of

except for

instead of

owing to

apart from

in addition to

near to

such as

as for

in front of

on account of

thanks to

as well as

in place of

on top of

up to

because of

in spite of

out of

due to

inside of

outside of

Prepositions or conjunctions?

Some words which are prepositions also function as conjunctions. When we use a preposition that is followed by a clause, it is functioning as a conjunction; when we use a preposition that is followed by a noun phrase, it stays as a preposition. Among the most common are after, as, before, since, until:

After I’d met him last night, I texted his sister at once. (conjunction)

After the meeting last night, I texted his sister at once. (preposition)

We’ll just have to wait until they decide what to do. (conjunction)

Okay, we’ll wait here until six o’clock. (preposition)

Prepositions or adverbs?

Several words which are prepositions also belong to the word class of adverbs. These include: about, across, around, before, beyond, in, inside, near, opposite, outside, past, round, through, under, up, within:

There were lots of people waiting for a taxi outside the club. (preposition)

A:

Where’s your cat?

B:

She’s outside. (adverb)

The gallery is opposite the Natural History Museum. (preposition)

A:

Can you tell me where the bus station is?

B:

It’s over there, just opposite. (adverb)

Prepositions and abstract meanings

Common prepositions that show relationships of space often have abstract as well as concrete meanings.

Compare

That map you need is behindthe filing cabinet. (basic spatial sense or position)

Everyone is behind the government. (behind = gives support)

Beyond the hotel were beautiful mountains. (basic spatial sense or position)

Learning Chinese in a year was beyond them all. (beyond = too difficult for)

Some common prepositions such as at, in and on can have abstract meanings:

I think you will both need to discuss the problem in private.

All three singers were dressed in black.

You now have the next day at leisure and can do whatever you wish.

Our dog stays on guard all night, even when he’s sleeping!

Prepositions and adjectives

We commonly use prepositions after adjectives. Here are the most common adjective + preposition patterns.

adjectives

preposition

aware, full

of

They weren’t aware of the time.

different, separate

from

Is French very different from Spanish?

due, similar

to

This picture is similar to the one in our living room.

familiar, wrong

with

What’s wrong with Isabelle?

good, surprised*

at

We were really surprised at the price of food in restaurants on our holiday.

interested

in

Lots of people are interested in Grand Prix racing but I’m not.

responsible, good

for

Exercise is good for everyone.

worried, excited

about

We’re really excited about our trip to Argentina.

*We can also say surprised by

Prepositions and nouns

Many nouns have particular prepositions which normally follow them:

There’s been a large increase in the price of petrol.

Does anyone know the cause of the fire?

Prepositions and verbs

Many verbs go together with prepositions to make prepositional verbs. These always have an object:

I just couldn’t do without my phone.

Robert accused her of stealing his idea.

Phrasal-prepositional verbs contain a verb, an adverb particle and a preposition (underlined). We cannot separate the particle and the preposition:

The taxi is due any minute. Can you listen out for it?

I can’t put up with this noise any longer.

Prepositions: position and stranding

Traditional grammatical rules say that we should not have a preposition at the end of a clause or sentence. However, we sometimes do separate a preposition from the words which follow it (its complement). This is called preposition stranding, and it is common in informal styles:

She was someone to whom he could talk. (formal)

She was someone who he could talk to. (informal)

Which room are they having breakfast in? (informal)

In which room are they having breakfast? (formal)

If we leave out words that are clear from the context (ellipsis), we can use wh-questions with a wh-word + stranded preposition:

A:

The office is moving next year.

B:

Really, where to?

A:

I’m going to buy some flowers online.

B:

Who for?

A:

My mother.

Prepositions

How can we use these little words correctly?

Prepositions are used in many different ways in English – perhaps that’s why a lot of people have problems with them. First, they are used with time words:
  • on Monday
  • in the 20th century
  • at night
Second, they are used to show where something or someone is:
  • The plate is on the table.
  • Julie is in the garden.
  • The picture is on the wall.
Third, they are used after some adjectives:
  • She is good at tennis.
  • Scotland is famous for whisky
  • I’m worried about my new job.
Fourth, they are used after some verbs:
  • I’m listening to music.
  • She is waiting for her friend.
  • He borrows money from his sister.
Fifth, they are used after some nouns:
  • She has trouble with remembering new vocabulary.
Finally, they are used in certain phrases:
  • The bus arrived in the end.
  • She arrived just in time for the film.

Prepositions of Time

In, at, on and no preposition with time words:

Prepositions of time – here’s a list of the time words that need ‘on’, ‘in’, ‘at’ and some that don’t need any preposition. Be careful – many students of English use ‘on’ with months (it should be ‘in’), or put a preposition before ‘next’ when we don’t need one.
at
  • times: at 8pm, at midnight, at 6:30
  • holiday periods: at Christmas, at Easter
  • at night
  • at the weekend
  • at lunchtime, at dinnertime, at breakfast time
on
  • days: on Monday, on my birthday, on Christmas Day
  • days + morning / afternoon / evening / night: on Tuesday morning
  • dates: on the 20th of June
in
  • years: in 1992, in 2006
  • months: in December, in June
  • decades: in the sixties, in the 1790s
  • centuries: in the 19th century
  • seasons: in winter, in summer
  • in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
no prep
  • next week, year, month etc
  • last night, year etc
  • this morning, month etc
  • every day, night, years etc
  • today, tomorrow, yesterday

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place can be difficult – here’s some help about using ‘at’, ‘in’ and ‘on’ when you’re talking about where things are.

Basics:

If something is contained inside a box or a wide flat area, we use ‘in’:
in the newspaper in a house
in a cup in a drawer
in a bottle in a bag
in bed in a car
in London in England
in a book in a pub
in a field in the sea
in my stomach in a river
If something is on a line or a horizontal or vertical surface, we use ‘on’:
on the table on the wall
on the floor on the window
on my face on a plate
on the page on the sofa
on a chair on a bag
on the river on a t-shirt
on the ceiling on a bottle
on a bike on his foo
If something is at a point, (it could be a building) we use ‘at’:
at the airport at the door
at the table at the bus stop
at the cinema at the top
at the bottom at the pub
at the traffic lights at the front
at the back at school
at university at the window
at the hospital at the piano
Here are some more common ones that don’t really fit:
  • on TV
  • on the bus
  • on a train
  • on a plane
  • on the radio
  • at home
  • at work

Adjectives and Prepositions

Some adjectives need a preposition before their object. There doesn’t seem to be a logical rule, I’m afraid! We just need to learn them. Here are some of the most common ones:
  • famous for France is famous for its food.
  • proud of He is very proud of his new car.
  • interested in Julie is very interested in sport.
  • pleased with John is very pleased with his new suit.
  • bad at They are very bad at maths.
  • good at Einstein was very good at physics.
  • married to My mother has been married to my father for 20 years.
  • excited about I’m very excited about my holiday.
  • different from / to Coffee is different from tea.
  • afraid of I’m afraid of spiders.
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Use of Articles in English

Classroom - English, Learn English / By

Use of Articles in English

Articles

A, an, and the: how to use articles in English Many learners of English have problems with articles (the words a, an and the), especially when they don’t exist in their own language.

The number one rule is this: if a word is countable (e.g. one book, two books), you must always use an article (or my, his,etc.): I read a book. √ I read book. This is true even if there are adjectives before the noun: He drives an old car. √ He drives old car. Never use a or an with a word that is plural (e.g. books, trees) or uncountable (e.g. water, advice): I asked her for advice. √ I asked her for an advice. Note that we use a in front of words that start with a consonant sound (a horse, a carrot) and an in front of words with a vowel sound (an apple, an elephant). The next most important thing to understand is the difference between a/an and the. Basically, we use a/an when we don’t need to say which thing we are talking about. We use the to talk about a specific thing: I caught a train to London. (it doesn’t matter which train) The train was late. (that particular train was late) We often use a when we mention something for the first time, and then change to the when it is clear which thing we are talking about: He was talking to a man. The man was laughing. She gave him a present. The present was very expensive. We also use the when it is obvious which thing we are talking about or when there is only one of something: Could you shut the door, please? I cleaned the bathroom this morning. He travelled around the world. The sun is hot today. If you stick to the rules above, you will be correct in almost all cases. However, there are a few exceptions, and the following are the most useful ones to learn: We don’t use a/an before the names of meals: We had lunch at noon. We don’t use a/an before words like school, prison, or college when we are talking about them in a general way: I hope to go to college. He spent three years in prison. With the word ‘hospital’, there is a difference between British and American English: My brother’s in hospital (UK) / in the hospital (US). We use the before the names of shops or places where we go for services when they are the ones we usually go to: I need to go to the supermarket. She went to the doctor’s.
The 3 articles in English are a, an and the. The learner has to decide noun-by-noun which one of the articles to use*. In fact, there are 4 choices to make, because sometimes no article is necessary. Native-speakers, of course, use the articles correctly without thinking in everyday spoken language. English learners, on the other hand, need to have some guidelines for making the right choice – particularly those learners whose own language does not have articles, such as Japanese or Korean. The guidelines that follow here should help ESL students to a basic understanding of English article use. The most important first step in choosing the correct article is to categorize the noun as count or uncount in its context**: – A count noun is a noun that can have a number in front of it: 1 teacher, 3 books, 76 trombones, 1,000,000 people. – An uncount noun is a noun that cannot have a number put in front of it: 1 water, 2 lucks, 10 airs, 21 oils, 39 informations. Once you have correctly categorized the noun (using your dictionary if necessary), the following “rules” apply: Uncount nouns
  • You cannot say a/an with an uncount noun.
  • You cannot put a number in front of an uncount noun. (You cannot make an uncount noun plural.)
  • You use an uncount noun with no article if you mean that thing in general.
  • You use the with an uncount noun when you are talking about a particular example of that thing.
Count nouns
  • You can put a number in front of a count noun. (You can make a count noun plural.)
  • You can put both a/an and the in front of a count noun.
  • You must put an article in front of a singular count noun.
  • You use a plural count noun with no article if you mean all or any of that thing.
  • You usually use a/an with a count noun the first time you say or write that noun.
  • You use the with count nouns:
    • the second and subsequent times you use the noun in a piece of speech or writing
    • when the listener knows what you are referring to (maybe because there is only one of that thing)
  • You use an (not a) when the next word (adverb, adjective, noun) starts with a vowel sound.
Note:
        • The above rules apply whether there is or there is not an adjective in front of the noun.
        • Some nouns can be either count or uncount, depending on the context and meaning:
          • Do you have paper? I want to draw a picture. (uncount = a sheet of paper)
          • Can you get me a paper when you�re at the shop? (count = a newspaper)
        • Uncount nouns are often preceded by phrases such as: a lot of .. (luck), a piece of .. (cake), a bottle of .. (milk), a grain of .. (rice).
* Instead of an article, the noun can also be preceded by a determiner such as this, that, some, many
       or
my, his, our
    , etc.
Following are some of the most important guidelines listed above, with example sentences:
1. You use an uncount noun with no article if you mean all or any of that thing.
  • I need help!
  • I don’t eat cheese.
  • Do you like music?
2. You use the with an uncount noun when you are talking about a particular example of that thing.
  • Thanks for the help you gave me yesterday.
  • I didn’t eat the cheese. It was green!
  • Did you like the music they played at the dance?
3. You usually use a/an with a count noun the first time you say or write that noun.
  • Can I borrow a pencil, please?
  • There’s a cat in the garden!
  • Do you have an mp3 player?
4. You use the with count nouns the second and subsequent times you use the noun, or when the listener already knows what you are referring to (maybe because there is only one of that thing).
  • Where’s the pencil I lent you yesterday?
  • I think the cat belongs to the new neighbours.
  • I dropped the mp3 player and it broke.
  • Please shut the door!
5. You use a plural count noun with no article if you mean all or any of that thing.
  • I don’t like dogs.
  • Do they have children?
  • I don’t need questions. Give me answers!
6. The above rules apply whether there is or there is not an adjective in front of the noun.
  • I don’t eat German cheese.
  • Can I borrow a red pencil, please?
  • There’s an extremely large cat in the garden!
  • I don’t like small, noisy children.
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Arabic Vocabulary: Food

Classroom - Arabic, Learn Arabic / By

Arabic food vocabulary

English Standard Arabic Transliteration Egyptian Arabic Transliteration
food طعام Ta3aam اكل akl
foods مأكولات ma’kuulaat ” ma’kulaat
meal وجبة (ج) وجبات wajba (pl.) wajabaat اكلة (ج) اكلات akla (pl.) akalaat
  طقة (ج) طقات Ta”a (pl.) Ta”aat
delivery توصيل tawSiil ” ”
restaurant مطعم (ج) مطاعم maT3am (pl.) maTaa3im ” ”
waiter نادل (ج) ندل naadil (pl.) nudul متر | جرسون metre | garsoon
breakfast فطور faTuur فطار fiTaar
lunch غداء ġadaa’ غدا ġada
dinner عشاء 3ašaa’ عشا 3aša
to have breakfast فطر – يفطر (فطر) faTara – yafTuru (faTr) فطر – يفطر (فطار) fiTir – yifTar (fiTaar)
to have lunch تغدى – يتغدى taġadda – yataġadda اتغدّى – يتغدّى (غدا) itġadda – yitġadda (ġada)
to have dinner تعشّى – يتعشّى ta3ašša – yata3ašša اتعشّى – يتعشّى (عشا) it3ašša – yit3ašša (3aša)
recipe وصفة (ج) وصفات waSfa (pl.) waSafaat ” ”
ingredient مقدار (ج) مقادير miqdaar (pl.) maqaadiir محتويات muHtawiyaat
can علبة (ج) علب 3ulba (pl.) 3ulab ” 3elba (pl.) 3ilab
jar وعاء (ج) اوعية wi3aa’ (pl.) aw3iya برطمان (ج) برطمانات barTamaan (pl.) barTamaanaat
box صندوق (ج) صناديق Sunduuq (pl.) Sanaadiiq ” Sunduu’ (pl.) Sanadii’
hungry (hunger) جائع (ج) جياع (جوع) jaa’i3 (pl.) jiyaa3 (juu3) جعان (جوع) ga3aan (goo3)
thirsty (thirst) عطشان (ج) عطاش (عطش) 3aTšaan (pl.) 3iTaaš (3aTaš) ” ”
full (from eating) شبعان (ج) شباعى šab3aan (pl.) šabaa3a ” ”
to eat أكل – يأكل (أكل) akala – yaa’kulu (akl) أكل – ياكل (أكل) akal/kal – yaakul (akl)
to drink شرب – يشرب (شرب) šariba – yašrabu (šurb) ” širib – yišrab (šurb)
to cook طبخ – يطبخ (طبخ) Tabaxa – yaTbaxu (Tabx) طبخ – يطبخ (طبخ) Tabax – yiTbux (Tabx)
طهى – يطهى (طهي | طهو) Tahaa – yatHaa (Tahy/Tahw)  
to bake (esp. bread) خبز – يخبز (خبز) xabaza – yaxbizu (xabz) خبز – يخبز (خبيز) xabaz – yixbiz (xabiiz)
to stir حرّك – يحرّك (تحريك) Harraka – yuHarriku (taHriik) قلّب – يقلّب (تقليب) ‘allab – yi’allib (ta’liib)
to mix خلط – يخلط (خلط) (شئ) مع (شئ) xalaTa – yaxliTu (xalT) ” xalaT – yixluT (xalT)
مزج – يمزج (مزج) __ بـ__ mazaja – yamzuju (mazj) __ bi__  
to pour صبّ – يصبّ (صبّ) __ على __ Sabba – yaSubbu (Sabb) __ 3ala __ ” ”
سكب – يسكب (سكب) sakaba – yaskubu (sakb) كبّ – يكبّ (كبّ) kabb – yikubb (kabb)
to boil (water) غلّى – يغلّي (غلي | غليان) ġalla – yuġalli (ġali/ġalayaan) غلى – يغلي (غليان) ġili – yiġli (ġalayaan)
to boil (food) سلق – يسلق (سلق) salaqa – yasluqu (salq) ” sala’ – yislu’ (sal’)
to boil over (to overflowing) فار – يفور (فور) faara – yafuuru (foor) ” ”
to burn, be scorched شاط – يشيط (شيط) šaaTa – yašiiTu (šeiT) شاط – يشيط (شياط) šaaT – yišiiT (šiyaaT)
to dissolve s.t. ذوّب – يذوّب (تذويب) dawwaba – yudawwibu (tadwiib) دوّب – يدوّب (تدويب) dawwib – yidawwib (tadwiib)
to melt s.t. سيّح – يسيّح (تسييح) sayyaHa – yusayyiHu (tasyiiH) ” sayyaH – yisayyaH (tasyiiH)
to sprinkle, scatter نثر – ينثر (نثر) natara – yanturu (natr) ” natar – yintur (natr)
رشّ – يرشّ (رشّ) __ على __ rašša – yaruššu (rašš) __ 3ala __ ” ”
to add (to) أضاف – يضيف (اضافة) الى aDaafa – yaDiifu (iDaafa) ila ” ”
to heat (s.t.) up سخّن – يسخّن (تسخين) saxxana – yusaxxinu (tasxiin) ” saxxan – yisaxxan (tasxiin)
to grease s.t. (with) دهن – يدهن (دهن) ــ بـ dahana – yadhunu (dahn) s.t. bi- دهن – يدهن (دهان) ــ بـ dahan – yidhin (dihaan) s.t. bi-
to peel (something) قشّر – يقشّر (تقشير) qaššara – yuqaššir (taqšiir) ” ‘aššar – yi’aššar (ta’šiir)
to grate بشر – يبشر (بشر) bašara – yabšuru (bašr) ” ”
to strain/drain صفّى – يصفّي (تصفية) Saffa – yiSaffi (taSfiya) ” ”
to cut قطّع – يقطّع (تقطيع) qaTTa3a – yuqaTTi3u (taqTii3) ” ‘aTTa3 – yi’aTTi3 (ta’Tii3)
slice شريحة (ج) شرائح šariiHa (pl.) šaraa’iH خرطة (ج) خرط xarTa (pl.) xuraT
piece قطعة (ج) قطع qitT3a (pl.) qiTa3 حتّة (ج) حتت Hetta (pl.) Hetat
to soak (s.t. in water) نقع – ينقع (نقع) (شئ) (في الماء) naqa3a – yanqa3u (naq3) ” na’a3 – yin’a3 (na’3)
to chew مضغ – يمضغ (مضغ) maDaġa – yamDuġu (maDġ) ” ”
               
drink مشروب (ج) مشروبات mašruub (pl.) mašruubaat ” ”
juice عصير (ج) عصائر 3aSiir (pl.) 3aSaa’ir ” 3aSiir (pl.) 3aSaayir
water ماء maa’ ميّة mayya
tea شاي šaay ” ”
coffee قهوة qahwa ” ‘ahwa
milk حليب Haliib لبن laban
alcohol خمر xamr ” ”
wine نبيذ nabiid نبيت nibiit
champagne شامبنية šampanya ” ”
beer بيرة biira ” ”
fruit فاكهة (ج) فواكه faakiha (pl.) fawaakih ” fakha (pl.) fawaakih
apple تفّاح tuffaaH ” ”
orange برتقال burtuqaal برتقان burtu’aan
banana موز mooz ” ”
lemon ليمون laymuun لمون lamuun
lime ليمون حامض laymuun HaamiD لمون lamuun
watermelon بطّيخ baTTiix ” ”
cantaloupe بطّيخ أصفر baTTiix aSfar شمّام šammaam
strawberry فراولة farawla ” ”
cherry كرز karaz كريز kireiz
grape عنب 3inab ” ”
raisin زبيب zabiib ” zibiib
pear كمثرى kummatra كمترى kommetra
peach خوخ xoox ” ”
plum برقوق barquuq ” bar’uu’
prune برقوق ناشف barquuq naašif ” bar’uu’ naashif
pomegranate رمّان rummaan ” ”
apricot مشمش mišmiš ” ”
guava جوافة guwaafa ” ”
dates (fresh) بلح balaH ” ”
dates (dried/processed) تمر tamr ” ”
pineapple اناناس ananaas ” ”
coconut جوز الهند jooz al-hind جوز هند gooz hind
berry توت tuut ” ”
blueberry توت أزرق tuut azraq ” tuut azra’
raspberry توت المعلق tuut al-mu3allaq توت احمر tuut aHmar
blackberry توت الاسود المعلق tuut al-aswad al-mu3allaq توت اسود tuut iswid
mango مانجو mango مانجة manga
fig تين tiin ” ”
olive زيتون zeituun زتون zatuun
popcorn بوشار bušaar فشار fišaar
nuts مكسّرات mikassaraat ” ”
almonds لوز looz ” ”
walnuts عين الجمل 3ein al-jamal ” 3ein gamal
hazelnuts بندق bunduq ” bondo’
peanuts سوداني suudaani ” sudaani
vegetables خضراوات xaDrawaat خضروات | خضار xuDrawaat | xuDaar
carrot جزر jazar ” gazar
cauliflower قرنبيط qarnabiiT ” ‘arnabiiT
lettuce خسّ xass ” ”
cucumber خيار xiyaar ” ”
zucchini كوسا kuusa ” koosa
cabbage كرمب krumb ” kurumb
peas بازلاء baazilaa’ بسلة bisilla
radish فجل (ج) فجول fujl (pl.) fujuul فجل figl
celery كرفس karafs ” ”
okra بامية baamiya ” bamya
eggplant باذنجان badinjaan بدنجان bidingaan
artichoke خرشوف (ج) خراشيف xuršuuf (pl.) xaraašiif ” xaršuuf
spinach سبانخ sabaanix ” ”
potato بطاطا (ج) بطاطس baTaaTa (pl.) baTaaTis بطاطس baTaaTis
tomato طماطم TamaaTim ” ”
onion بصل baSal ” ”
garlic ثوم tuum توم toom
clove فص (ج) فصوص faSS (pl.) fuSuuS ” ”
corn ذرة dura درة dura
mushroom فطر fuTr شمبنيون šampinyoon
عشّ غراب 3ušš ġuraab ” 3ešš ġuraab
pumpkin قرعة qar3a عرق عسلي 3ar’ 3asali
beans فول fuul ” ”
chickpeas حمص HummuS ” HommoS
lentils عدس 3adas ” 3ads
soup حساء Hisaa’ شربة šurba
salad سلطة salaTa ” ”
Arabic Vocabulary: Food
meat لحم (ج) لحوم laHm (pl.) luHuum لحمة laHma
poultry طيور Tuyuur ظفر Zafar
chicken دجاج dajaaj فراخ firaax
lamb لحم الخروف laHm al-xaruuf لحمة ضاني laHma Daani
beef لحم البقر laHm al-baqar لحمة بقري laHma ba’ari
veal لحم العجل laHm al-3ijl بتللو bitillu
turkey ديك رومي diik ruumi ” ”
fish سمك samak ” ”
pork لحم الخنزير laHm al-xanziir ” ”
shrimp جمبري gambari ” ”
crab أبو جلمبو abu galambo كابوريا kaburiya
lobster كركند karkand استاكوزا istakooza
clam حلزون صدفي Halazuun Sadafi جندوفلي gandofli
oyster محار maHaar ” ”
octopus اخطبوط ixTabuuT ” uxTabuuT
bread خبز xubz عيش 3eiš
loaf of bread* رغيف (ج) أرغفة raġiif (pl.) arġifa ” ”
* Note that a رغيف refers to something different than what Americans would typically think of as a loaf of bread. A رغيف is a whole pita bread or عيش بلدي. Here’s a photo of a boy carrying a bunch of أرغفة.
a long, thin bread roll (similar to hot dog buns)   عيش فينو 3eiš fiinu
a round bread roll (like dinner rolls)   عيش كيزر 3eiš kayzar
yeast خميرة xamiira ” ”
dough عجين 3ajiin ” 3agiin
to knead عجن – يعجن (عجن) 3ajana – ya3jinu (3ajn) ” 3agan – yi3gin (3agn)
to rise تخمّر – يتخمّر (تخمّر) taxammara – yataxammaru (taxammur) اتخمّر – يتخمّر (خمران) itxammar – yitxammar (xumraan)
cheese جبن jubn جبنة gibna
butter زبدة zubda ” zibda
jam مربّى murabba ” mirabba
yogurt لبن زبادي laban zabaadi زبادي zabaadi
honey عسل (ابيض) 3asal (abyaD) ” ”
molasses عسل اسود 3asal aswad ” 3asal iswid
rice أرزّ aruzz رزّ ruzz
pasta مكرونة makaruuna ” makaroona
egg بيض beiD ” ”
desserts, sweets حلويات Helawiyaat ”
ice cream آيس كريم aayis kriim ”
scoop   بولة boola
cake كعك ka3k جاتيه gatooh
gum علك 3ilk لبان libaan
sugar سكّر sukkar ” ”
salt ملح milH ” malH
pepper فلفل fulful ” filfil
oil زيت zeit ” ”
olive oil زيت زيتون zeit zeituun ” ”
vinegar خلّ xall ” ”
spices بهارات bahaaraat بهرات buharaat
توابل tawaabil ” ”
flour دقيق daqiiq ” di’ii’
wheat قمح qamH ” ‘amH
oats شوفان šuufaan ” šufaan
barley شعير ša3iir ” ”
mint نعناع na3naa3 ” ni3naa3
parsley بقدونس baqduunis ” ba’duunis
cinnamon قرفة qirfa ” ‘irfa
ginger زنجبيل zanjabiil جنزبيل ganzabiil
cumin كمون kammuun ” ”
nutmeg جوز الطيب jooz aT-Tiib ” goozit iT-Tiib
turmeric كركم kurkum ” ”
coriander كزبرة kuzbara ” ”
cloves قرنفل qurunfil ” ‘oronfil
saffron زعفران za3faraan ” ”
thyme زعتر za3tar ” ”
vegetarian نباتي nabaati ” ”
to be on a diet تبع – يتبع (تباعة) حمية tabi3a – yatba3u (tabaa3a) Himya عامل | عاملة ريجيم 3aamil/3amla režiim
nutrition غذاء ġidaa’ ” ġiza
appetite شهية šahiyya نفس للأكل nifs lil-akl
boiled مسلوق masluuq ” masluu’
fried مقلي maqli ” ma’li
محمّر miHammar
grilled شوي šawiiy مشوي mešwi
roasted محمّر muHammar رستو rosto
stuffed محشي maHši ” ”
minced مفروم mafruum ” ”
crunchy مقرمش muqarmiš ” mi’armiš
raw نئ nii’ نيّ nayy
delicious لذيذ ladiid ” laziiz
delicious, appetizing شهي šahi ” ”
fresh طازج Taazaj طازة Taaza
natural طبيعي Tabii3i ” ”
tender ليّن layyin طري Tari
dry ناشف naašif ” ”
sweet حلو Helw ” ”
hot (spicy) حارّ Haarr حامي | حرّاق | مشطّة Haami | Harraa’ | mešaTTa
hot (temperature) ساخن saaxin سخن suxn
cold بارد baarid ” ”
  ساقع saa’i3
taste, flavor طعم (ج) طعوم Ta3m (pl.) Tu3uum ” ”
flavor نكهة nakha  
bitter مرّ murr ” ”
sour حامض HaamiD مزز miziz
spoiled فاسد faasid خسران xasraan
to spoil, go bad (of food or milk etc.) فسد – يفسد (فساد) fasada – yafsidu (fasaad) خسر – يخسر (خسارة) xisir – yixsar (xusaara)
to go sour (of food or milk etc.)   حمض – يحمض (حمضان) HimiD – yiHmaD (HamaDaan)
rotten, moldy متعفّن muta3affin معفّن mi3affin
burned محروق maHruuq ” maHruu’
undercooked   معجّن mi3aggin
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Arabic Vocabulary: Clothing

Classroom - Arabic, Learn Arabic / By

                     Arabic Vocabulary: Clothing

English Standard Arabic Transliteration Egyptian Arabic Transliteration
clothes ملابس malaabis هدوم huduum
لبس libs
to wear; put on لبس – يلبس (لبس) labisa – yalbasu (lubs) ” libis – yilbis (libs)
ارتدى – يرتدي (ارتداء) irtada – yartadi (irtidaa’)  
to take off خلع – يخلع (خلع) xala3a – yaxla3u (xal3) قلع – يقلع (قلع) ‘ala3 – yi’la3 (‘al3)
to suit someone (e.g. of colors or styles) لاق – يليق (ليق) بـ laaqa – yaliiqu (laiq) bi-s.o. لاق – يليق (ليقان) على laa’ – yilii’ (laya’aan) 3ala s.o.
stylish, elegant (elegance, style) أنيق (أناقة) aniiq (anaaqa) ” ”
chic, elegant (elegance)   شيك (شياكة) šiik (šiyaaka)
overdressed, foppish   محفلط moHaflaT
shirt قميص (ج) قمصان qamiiS (pl.) qumSaan ” ‘amiiS (pl.) ‘umSaan
sleeve كم (ج) أكمام kumm (pl.) akmaam ” ”
blouse بلوزة (ج) بلوزات baluuza (pl.) baluuzaat ” biluuza (pl.) biluzaat
coat معطف (ج) معاطف mi3Taf (pl.) ma3aaTif بالطو (ج) بلاطي balTo (pl.) balaaTi
jacket سترة (ج) ستر sutra (pl.) sutar جكتّة (ج) جكتّات žakitta (pl.) žakittaat
pants بنطلون (ج) بنطلونات banTaloon (pl.) banTaloonaat ” ”
shorts بنطلون قصير banTaloon qaSiir شرط (ج) شرطات šorT (pl.) šorTaat
skirt تنّورة (ج) تنّورات tannuura (pl.) tannuuraat جوب (ج) جوبات žuup (pl.) župaat
  جنلّة (ج) جنلات gunilla (pl.) gunillaat
dress فستان (ج) فساتين fustaan (pl.) fasaatiin ” ”
suit بدلة (ج) بدل badla (pl.) bidal ” ”
swimsuit ثوب السباحة toob as-sibaaHa ميوه (ج) ميوهات mayooh (pl.) mayohaat
nightgown ثوب النوم toob an-noom قميص نوم ‘amiiS noom
pajamas بيجامة (ج) بيجامات bižaama (pl.) bižamaat ” ”
underwear ملابس داخلية malaabis daaxiliyya ” ”
underpants ملابس داخلية malaabis daaxiliyya كلوتّ (ج) كلوتّات kilott (pl.) kilottaat
men’s underwear ملابس داخلية رجالية malaabis daaxiliyya rajaaliyya لباس (ج) لباسات | لبسة libaas (pl.) libasaat/libisa
bra ملابس داخلية حريمي malaabis daaxiliyya Hariimi ستيان (ج) ستيانات sutyaan (pl.) sutyanaat
diaper حفاظ (ج) حفاظات أطفال HifaaZ (pl.) HifaaZaat aTfaal كفولة (ج) كوافيل kafuula (pl.) kawafiil
hat قبعة (ج) قبعات qubba3a (pl.) qubba3aat برنيطة (ج) برانيط borneiTa (pl.) baraniiT
gloves قفّاز (ج) قفّازات quffaaz (pl.) quffaazaat جونتي (ج) جونتيات guwanti (pl.) guwantiyaat
scarf وشاح (ج) أوشحة wišaaH (pl.) awšiHa ايشارب (ج) ايشاربات iišaarb (pl.) išarbaat
belt حزام (ج) أحزمة Hizaam (pl.) aHzima حزام (ج) حزمة Hizaam (pl.) Hizima
buckle ابزيم (ج) أبازيم ibziim (pl.) abaaziim ” abziim (pl.) abaziim
  توكة (ج) توك tooka (pl.) towak
tie ربطة (ج) رباط عنق rabTa (pl.) ribaaT 3unuq كرفتّة (ج) كرفتّات karavatta (pl.) karavattaat
sock جورب (ج) جوارب jawrab (pl.) jawaarib شراب (ج) شرابات šaraab (pl.) šarabaat
shoe أحذية (ج) حذاء aHdiya (pl.) Hidaa’ جزمة (ج) جزم gazma (pl.) gizam
slipper خفّ (ج) خفاف | اخفاف xuff (pl.) xifaaf | axfaaf شبشب (ج) شباشب šibšib (pl.) šabaašib
collar قبّة (ج) قبّات qabba (pl.) qabbaat ياقة (ج) ياقات yaa’a (pl.) ya’aat
  كولة (ج) كولات koola (pl.) kolaat
button زرّ (ج) ازرار zirr (pl.) azraar زرار (ج) زراير zuraar (pl.) zaraayir
pocket جيب (ج) جيوب jeib (pl.) juyuub ” geib (pl.) guyuub
zipper سحاب saHHaab سوستة soosta
thread خيط (ج) خيوط xeiT (pl.) xuyuuT ” ”
jewel جوهرة (ج) جواهر jawhara (pl.) jawaahir ” gawhara (pl.) gawaahir
jewelry   مجوهرات mugawharaat
gold/silver/jewels مصوغات maSuughaat  
earring حلق (ج) حلقان Halaq (pl.) Hilqaan ” Hala’ (pl.) Hil’aan
necklace عقد (ج) عقود 3iqd (pl.) 3uquud عقد (ج) عقاد 3u’d (pl.) 3i’aad
necklace, choker كردان (ج) كرادين kirdaan (pl.) karaadiin ” kirdaan (pl.) karadiin
bracelet سوار (ج) أسورة siwaar (pl.) aswira اسورة (ج) اساور iswira (pl.) asaawir
  غويشة (ج) غوايش ġuweiša (pl.) ġawaayiš
ring خاتم (ج) خواتم xaatim (pl.) xawaatim ” ”
gold ذهب dahab دهب dahab
silver فضّة fiDDa ” faDDa
diamond ماس(ة) maas(a) الماز(ة) almaaz(a)
pearls لؤلؤ lu’lu’ ” ”
  لولي luuli
glasses نظّارة naZZaara نضّارة naDDaara
contact lenses عدسات لاصقة 3adasaat laaSiqa ” ”
sunglasses نظّارة شمسية naZZaara šamsiyya نضّارة شمس naDDaarit šams
wristwatch ساعة يد saa3at yad ” saa3it iid
purse شنطة (ج) شنط (اليد) šanTa (pl.) šunaT (al-yad) شنطة (ج) شنط šanTa (pl.) šunaT
حقيبة (ج) حقائب اليد Haqiiba (pl.) Haqaa’ib al-yad كيس (ج) اكياس kiis (pl.) akyaas
wallet محفظة (ج) محافظ maHfaZa (pl.) maHaafiZ ” ”
umbrella مظلّة (ج) مظلات miZalla (pl.) miZallaat شمسية (ج) شماسي šamsiyya (pl.) šamaasi
fabric أقمشة aqmiša قماشة ‘umaaš(a)
silk حرير (ج) حرائر Hariir (pl.) Haraa’ir ” ”
wool صوف (ج) اصواف Suuf (pl.) aSwaaf ” ”
velvet مخمل muxmal قطيفة ‘aTiifa
cotton قطن (ج) اقطان quTun (pl.) aqTaan ” ‘uTn (pl.) a’Taan
lace تخريمة taxriima دنتلّة | دنتل dantilla | dantel
leather جلد jild ” gild
dotted منقّط munaqqaT ” mina”aT
striped مقلّم muqallam ” mi’allim
plaid   كروهات karohaat
solid color سادة saada ” ”
embroidered, decorated مزيّن muzayyan مزركش mizarkaš
patterned مشجّر mušajjar ” mišaggar
tight ضيّق Dayyiq ” Dayya’
  محزّق maHazza’
loose واسع waasi3 ” ”
wide واسع waasi3 عريض (ج) عراض 3ariiD (pl.) 3uraaD
modest محتشم muHtašim حشمة Hišma
torn مقطوع maqTuu3 ” ma’Tuu3
tailor خيّاط (ج) خيّاطون xayyaaT (pl.) xayyaaTuun ” xayyaaT (pl.) xayyaTiin
  ترزي (ج) ترزية tarzi (pl.) tarziyya
(clothing) size مقاس (ج) مقاسات maqaas (pl.) maqaasaat ” ma’aas (pl.) ma’asaat
to adjust عدل – يعدل (تعديل) 3addala – yu3addilu (ta3diil) ظبط – يظبط ZabaT – yuZbuT
to fit, make to measure   فصّل – يفصّل (تفصيل) faSSal – yifaSSal (tafSiil)
to shorten قصّر – يقصّر (تقصير) qaSSara – yuqaSSiru (taqSiir) ” ‘aSSar – yi’aSSar (ta’Siir)
to mend (ex. a tear) صلّح – يصلّح (تصليح) SallaHa – yuSalliHu (taSliiH) ” SallaH – yiSallaH (taSliiH)
to sew خيّط – يخيّط (خياطة) xayyaTa – yuxayyiTu (xiyaaTa) ” xayyaT – yixayyaT (xiyaaTa)
   ]]>

Pronouns In Arabic

Classroom - Arabic, Learn Arabic / By

Separate Subject Pronouns

English Arabic (MSA) Pronunciation
First Person I أَنَا ana
we نَحْنُ nahnu
Second Person you (masculine) أَنْتَ anta
you (feminine) أَنْتِ anti
you (dual) أَنْتُمَا antumaa
you (masculine plural) أَنْتُمْ antum
you (feminine plural) أَنْتُنَّ antunna
Third Person he هُوَ huwa
she هِيَ hiya
the two of them (dual) هُمَا humaa
they (masculine) هُمْ hum
they (feminine) هُنَّ hunna
Subject pronouns (I, you, we, he, she, we, they) take the place of a noun and function as the subject of a sentence.
أنا من أمريكا (ana min amriika) I am from the US.هو مهندس (howwa mohandis) He is an engineer.
Note: In Arabic, the subject pronoun is frequently dropped. You can tell from a verb conjugation who the subject is, so it’s not really necessary to use the subject pronoun in such cases except for emphasis. However, in equational (verbless) sentences like the two above, you do need the subject pronoun.

Subject pronouns in standard and Egyptian Arabic

English Standard Arabic Egyptian Arabic
Singular I
أنا (ana)
you (masc.) انتَ (anta) انت (inta)
you (fem.) انتِ (anti) انتى (inti)
he
هو (howwa)
she
هي (heyya)
Dual we نحن (naHnu)
you أنتما (antuma)
they هما (humaa)
Plural we نحن (naHnu) احنا (eHna)
you (masc.) أنتم (antum) انتو (intu)
you (fem.) أنتن (antunna)
they (masc.) هم (homa) هم (homa)
they (fem.) هن (hunna)
In English, there is only one second-person pronoun, “you,” which is used whether you’re talking to one person, two people, or more. But in Arabic, as you see above, there are masculine and feminine versions of “you,” as well as singular, dual (standard Arabic only), and plural versions: انتَ\انتِ if you’re addressing one person, أنتما if you’re addressing two (in standard Arabic), and أنتم\أنتن if you’re addressing three or more people. Note that the dual “you” (أنتما) is the same regardless of gender. In standard Arabic, there is also a dual version of “they” (هما – which is gender-indiscriminate as well) and masculine and feminine versions of the plural “they” (همand هن). Note that Egyptian Arabic has fewer pronouns than standard Arabic, since it has no dual pronouns; it just has plural pronouns that are used to talk about two or more people, of any gender. And the colloquial انتو and هم are gender-neutral.

Object pronouns

Object pronouns (me, you, us, him, her, them) are used when you do something directly to someone or something else. In Arabic, these pronouns are suffixes that are attached to the verb:
ضربته (Darabatu) She hit him.يشكروني (yaškuruuni) They thank me.

Object pronouns in standard and Egyptian Arabic

English Standard Arabic Egyptian Arabic
Singular me
ـني (-ni)
you (masc.) ـكَ (-ka) ـك (-ak)
you (fem.) ـكِ (-ki) ـك (-ik)
him
ـه (-u)
her
ـها (-ha)
Dual us ـنا (-na)
you ـكما (-kuma)
them ـهما (-huma)
Plural us
ـنا (-na)
you (masc.) ـكم (-kum) ـكو\ـكم (-ku/-kum)
you (fem.) ـكن (-kunna)
them (masc.) ـهم (-hum) ـهم (-hom)
them (fem.) ـهن (-hunna)
Note: In colloquial Arabic, ـكو and ـكم are both used, but the former is more colloquial than the latter. Here are some examples of object pronoun usage, using the verb سأل (sa’al) – “to ask.”
English Standard Arabic Egyptian Arabic
Singular He asked me
سألني (sa’alni)
He asked you (masc.) سألكَ (sa’alaka) سألك (sa’alak)
He asked you (fem.) سألكِ (sa’alaki) سألك (sa’alik)
He asked him
سأله (sa’alahu [more standard] or sa’alu [more colloquial])
He asked her
سألها (sa’alaha [more standard] or sa’alha [more colloquial])
Dual He asked us سألنا (sa’alna)
He asked you سألكما (sa’alkuma)
He asked them سألهما (sa’alhuma)
Plural He asked us
سألنا (sa’alna)
He asked you (masc.) سألكم (sa’alkum) سألكو\ـكم (sa’alku/sa’alkum)
He asked you (fem.) سألكن (sa’alkunna)
He asked them (masc.) سألهم (sa’alhum) سألهم (sa’alhom)
He asked them (fem.) سألهن (sa’alhunna)
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Degrees of Comparison in English

Classroom - English, Learn English / By

Degrees of Comparison in English

Read the following sentences:
  1. John is tall.
  2. Peter is taller than John.
  3. Harry is the tallest of the three.
In sentence 1, the adjective tall merely says something about John’s height. It doesn’t state how tall John is. In sentence 2, the adjective taller is used to compare John’s height with Peter’s height. In sentence 3, the adjective tallest is used to compare Harry’s height with the height of John and Peter. We have thus seen that adjectives change in form to show comparison. These different forms of the adjective are called the degrees of comparison. In the examples given above, the adjective tall is said to be in the positive degree. The adjective taller is said to be in the comparative degree and the adjective tallest is said to be in the superlative degree. The positive degree of an adjective is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere existence of some quality. Adjectives in the positive degree are used when no comparison is made. The comparative degree of an adjective shows a higher degree of the quality than that is present in the positive degree. It is used when two things or two sets of things are compared.
  • Peter is smarter than John.
  • Which of the two sisters is the prettier?
  • Apples are dearer than oranges.
The superlative degree of an adjective denotes the highest degree of the quality. It is used when more than two things or sets of things are compared.
  • Peter is the smartest boy in the class.
  • Iron is the most useful of all metals.
  • Alice is the prettiest girl in the neighborhood.
Comparison can be made using the three forms of the adjective. Adjective is a word and it qualifies a noun. It gives more information about the noun. eg. The lion is a strong animal. Rita is a beautiful girl. Adjectives are of three degrees. (1) Positive (2) Comparative (3) Superlative eg. David is a rich man. eg. Cancel is more dreadful than cholera. eg. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. Study the following models.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Very few boys in the class are as tall as John. John is taller than any other boys in the class. John is the tallest boy in the class.
John is taller than most other boys in the class. John is one of the tallest boy in the class.
Adjective and Adverbs have three degrees, Positive, Comparative and Superlative. The Pasitive Degree is used to denote the mere existence of quality.

The Positive Degree of an adjective in comparison is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no comparison is made.

  • It is a tall building.
  • Apple is sweet to taste.
The Comparative Degree is used to compare the qualities of two persons or things.

The Comparative Degree denotes the existence of a higher degree of the quality than the positive. It is used when two things (or two sets of things) are compared.

  • This building is taller than any other building.
  • Apple is sweeter than pear.

The Superlative Degree denotes the existence of the highest degree of the quality. It is used when more than two things are compared.

  • This is the tallest building.
  • Apple is the sweetest fruit.
The Superlative Degree is used when more than two nouns or things are compared.
  • Johnsy is kind (Positive Degree)
  • Johnsy is kinder than Rosy (Comparative Degree)
  • Johnsy is the kindest of all (Superlative Degree)
By adding ‘er’ and ‘est’
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
bright brighter brightest
black blacker blackest
bold bolder boldest
clever cleverer cleverest
cold colder coldest
fast faster fastest
great greater greatest
high higher highest
kind kinder kindest
long longer longest
small smaller smallest
strong stronger strongest
sweet sweeter sweetest
tall taller tallest
young younger youngest
By adding ‘r’ and ‘st’
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
brave braver bravest
fine finer finest
large larger largest
nice nicer nicest
noble nobler noblest
pale paler palest
simple simpler simplest
wise wiser wisest
white whiter whitest
By deleting the final ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’ and ‘iest’
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
costly costlier costliest
dry drier driest
easy easier easiest
happy happier happiest
heavy heavier heaviest
lazy lasier lasiest
mercy mercier merciest
wealthy wealthier wealthiest
By doubling the final consonats
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
big bigger biggest
dim dimmer dimmest
fat fatter fattest
hot hotter hottest
thin thinner thinnest
By using more and most
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
active more active most active
attractive more attractive most attractive
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
brilliant more brilliant most brilliant
careful more careful most careful
courageous more courageous most courageous
cunning more cunning most cunning
difficult more difficult most difficult
famous more famous most famous
faithful more faithful most faithful
proper more proper most proper
popular more popular most popular
splendid more splendid most splendid
Irregular Comparisons
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
bad worse worst
evil worse worst
good better best
ill worse worst
far farther farthest
well better best
late later latest
little less least
much more most
many more most
near nearer nearest
old older oldest
old elder eldest
Comparison between two things.
Positive Comparative
Johnsy is as clever as Rosy Rosy is not clever than Johnsy
Benjamin is atleast as tall as Jane Jane is not taller than Benjamin
Comparative Positive
Lazar is brighter than Stalin Stalin is not so bright as Lazar
Superlative Comparative Positive
Akthar is the richest man in Kanpur Akthar is richer than any other man in Kanpur No other man in Kanpur is so rich as Akthar
Superlative Comparative Positive
London is one of the biggest city in England London is bigger than most other city in England Very few cities in England are so big as London
Superlative Comparative Positive
Sheakespear is the greatest of all dramatists Shakespeare is greater than all other dramatists No other dramatist is so great as Shakespeare
Positive Comparative
Lazar is as strong as Lenin Lenin is not less strong than Lazar
Positive Comparative Superlative
Some boys in our class are at least as intelligent as Benjamin Some boys in our class are not intelligent than Benjamin Benjamin is not the most intelligent boy in our class
1. When we compare two objects, persons, qualities, degrees etc. tha tare some respects equal, we may use the comparion of equality. This is formed by the use of as… adjective / adverb… as eg. Your house is as large as mine. 2. When we compare unquals, we may use the comparative degree of the adjective or adverb with than eg. His new book is more interesting than his earlier books 3. When the comparison is negative, we use so… adjective / adverb… as eg. Your house is not quite so large as mine. 4. In some adverbial clauses of comparison both subject and verb are dropped. eg. He is more shy than (he is) unsocial. Some people think more about their rights than (they do) about their duties. 5. In clauses of comparison introduced by than that ‘should’ is used. eg. I am already to do the work myself rather than that you should have to do it. 6.Comparison and contrast are also expressed by the use of the…the…with comparatives. eg. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish. The more he read, the less he understood.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Iron is the most useful of all metals. Iron is more useful than any other metal. No other metal is so useful as iron.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Tom is the cleverest of all boys in the class. Tom is cleverer than any other boy in the class. No other boy in the class is so clever as Tom.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Rain water is the purest water. Rain water is purer than any other water. No other water is so pure as rain water.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Paris is one of the busiest cities in England. Paris is busier than most other cities in England. Very few cities in England are as busy as Paris.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Very few animals are as fast as cheetah. Cheetah is faster than most other animals. Cheetah is one of the fastest animals.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Food ball is one of the most interesting games. Foot ball is more interesting than most other games. Very few games are as interesting as foot ball.
Comparative Positive
Paris is hotter than England. England is not so hot as Paris.
Positive Comparative
John is as tall as David. David is not taller than John.
Comparative Positive
The Blue Mountain Express runs faster than the Green Express. The Green Express does not run so fast as the Blue Mountain Express.
Degrees of Comparison in English
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Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in German

Classroom - German, Learn German / By

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in German There are three adjective degrees in German:

  • Positive (equality and inferiority comparatives)
  • Comparative (superiority)
  • Superlative

Positive degree

This is the unmodified adjective.

Ich bin müde I am tired

The comparative of equality and inferiority is formed with the positive degree:

Comparative of equality

Clauses of equality are formed with this construction: so + POSITIVE ADJECTIVE + wie

Peter ist so dünn wie Tomas  Peter is as thin as Tomas

or with the construction: gleich + POSITIVE ADJECTIVE + wie

Peter ist gleich ungelenk wie Tomas  Peter is as clumsy as Tomas

A very common usage is for comparing quantities of something. The structure is: so + viel + NON-COUNT NOUN + wie / so + viele + COUNT NOUN + wie

Ich habe so viel Geld wie du  I have as much money as you

Ich habe so viele Autos wie du  I have as many cars as you

Comparative of inferiority

The comparative of inferiority’s structure is: nicht so + POSITIVE ADJECTIVE + wie

Du bist nicht so intelligent wie ich  You’re not as intelligent as me

Comparative degree

The comparative degree is for constructing the comparative of superiority. The comparative grade is formed generally by adding “er” to the adjective:

intelligent ➜ intelligenter  intelligent ➜ more intelligent

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in German

Comparative of superiority

The comparative of superiority is formed with the construction: ADJECTIVE IN COMPARATIVE DEGREE + als

Er ist stärker als ich  He is stronger than me

Peter ist dünner als Tomas  Peter is thinner than Tomas

Forming the comparative degree (special cases)

  • If the adjective ends with “-e”, one “-r” is added (the “-e” is not doubled)

müde ➜ müder tired ➜ more tired

feige ➜ feiger cowardly ➜ more cowardly

  • de + “-er”.

teuer ➜ teurer expensive ➜ more expensive

dunkel ➜ dunkler dark ➜ darker

  • If the adjective ends with “-er”, it can be formed regularly with + “-er” or, like the previous case, by losing the last “-e” + “-er”.

    lecker ➜ leckerer / leckrer delicious➜ more delicious

    sauber ➜ sauberer / saubrer clean ➜ cleaner

  • If an adjective is a monosyllable, an “Umlaut” ( ¨ ) + “er” is added (usually with vowels a, o, y and u). This also happens with the superlative degree.

krank ➜ kränker sick ➜ sicker

Comparative of inferiority

The comparative of inferiority is formed with the construction: weniger + ADJECTIVE + als

Er ist weniger intelligent als ich  He is less intelligent than me

Superlative degree

  • The superlative with the structure:am + Adjective in positive degree + -sten Whenever the adjective does not accompany a noun:

Welches Auto ist am billigsten? Which car is the cheapest?

  • If an adjective is monosyllabic (just one syllable), with vowels a, o, y and u, an “Umlaut” ( ¨ ) + “-sten” is added.This also happens in the comparative degree.

krank ➜ am kränksten sick ➜ sickest

  • When the adjective ends with one of the consonants: “-d”, “-t”, “-s”, “-ß”, “-sch”, “-x” or “-z” an “-e-” is added between the adjective in the positive degree and the ending “-sten.”

seriös ➜ am seriösesten serious ➜ the most serious 

süß ➜ am süßesten sweet ➜ the sweetest

There are some exceptions as in:

dringend ➜ am dringendsten urgent ➜ the most urgent

neidisch ➜ am neidischsten jealous ➜ the most jealous 

groß ➜ am größten tall ➜ the tallest

Attributive Adjective. Superlative without ‘am’

A frequent concern is about when to use am in the superlative and when not to. If the adjective is accompanied by a noun (the attributive form) am is not used. Example:

Tata Nano ist das billigste Auto der Welt  Tata Nano is the cheapest car in the world

Irregular adjectives

The following adjectives form the comparative and superlative irregularly:
Adjective Comparative Superlative Meaning
gut besser am besten good, better, the best
viel mehr am meisten much, more, the most
gern lieber am liebsten gladly, preferably, most preferably
hoch höher am höchsten high, higher, highest
nahe näher am nächsten near, nearer, nearest

Difference between “wie” and “als” (wie vs als)

An additional explanation. “Wie” will be used for the comparative of equality, while “als” will be used for the comparative of superiority. Comparisons in German generally work in a way that is similar to English. An Austrian brewery advertises its Gösser beer brand with the slogan: “gut, besser, Gösser” (“good, better, Gösser”). The German edition of Reader’s Digest is known as Das Beste (…aus Reader’s Digest).

COMPARISON ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS IN GERMAN

To form the comparative for most adjectives or adverbs in German you simply add -er, as in neu/neuer (new/newer) or klein/kleiner (small/smaller).

For the superlative, English uses the -est ending, the same as in German except that German often drops the e and usually adds an adjective ending: (der) neueste (the newest) or (das) kleinste (the smallest).

Unlike English, however, German never uses “more” (mehr) with another modifier to form the comparative. In English something may be “more beautiful” or someone could be “more intelligent.” But in German these are both expressed with the -er ending: schöner and intelligenter. So far, so good. But unfortunately German also has some irregular comparisons, just as English does. Sometimes these irregular forms are quite similar to those in English. Compare, for instance, the English good/better/best with the German gut/besser/am besten. On the other hand, high/higher/highest is hoch/höher/am höchsten in German. But there are only a few of these irregular forms, and they are easy to learn, as you can see below.

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVE/ADVERB COMPARISON

Irregular Adjective/Adverb Comparison
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
bald (soon) eher (sooner) am ehesten (soonest)
gern (gladly) lieber (more gladly) am liebsten (most gladly)
groß (big) größer (bigger) am größten (biggest) der/die/das größte
gut (good) besser (better) am besten (best) der/die/das beste
hoch (high) höher (higher) am höchsten (highest) der/die/das höchste
nah (near) näher (nearer) am nächsten (nearest) der/die/das nächste
viel (much) mehr (more) am meisten (most) die meisten
There is one more irregularity that affects both the comparative and superlative of many German adjectives and adverbs: the added umlaut ( ¨ ) over a, o, or u in most one-syllable adjectives/adverbs. Below are some examples of this kind of comparison. Exceptions (do not add an umlaut) include bunt (colorful), falsch (wrong), froh (merry), klar (clear), laut (loud), and wahr(true).

IRREGULAR COMPARISON EXAMPLES

Irregular Comparison – Umlaut Added Examples
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
dumm (dumb) dümmer (dumber) am dümmsten (dumbest) der/die/das dümmste
kalt (cold) kälter (colder) am kältesten* (coldest) der/die/das kälteste*
  *Note the “connecting” e in the superlative: kälteste
klug (smart) klüger (smarter) am klügsten (smartest) der/die/das klügste
lang (long) länger (longer) am längsten (longest) der/die/das längste
stark (strong) stärker (stronger) am stärksten (strongest) der/die/das stärkste
warm (warm) wärmer (warmer) am wärmsten (warmest) der/die/das wärmste
In order to use the comparative forms above and to express relative comparisons or equality/inequality (“as good as” or “not as tall as”) in German, you also need to know the following phrases and formulations using als, so-wie, or je-desto:
  • mehr/größer/besser als = more/bigger/better than
  • (nicht) so viel/groß/gut wie = (not) as much/big/good as
  • je größer desto besser = the bigger/taller the better
Below are a few sample sentences to show how the positive, comparative, and superlative forms are used in German. In Part Two, we offer you a chance to test your ability to use these forms and structures in our comparison exercises.
ENGLISH DEUTSCH
My sister is not as tall as I am. Meine Schwester ist nicht so groß wie ich.
His Audi is much more expensive than my VW. Sein Audi ist viel teurer als mein VW.
We prefer to travel by train. Wir fahren lieber mit der Bahn.
Karl is the oldest. Karl is oldest. Karl ist der Älteste. Karl ist am ältesten.
The more people, the better. Je mehr Leute, desto besser.
He likes to play basketball, but most of all he likes to play soccer. Er spielt gern Basketball, aber am liebsten spielt er Fußball.
The ICE [train] travels/goes the fastest. Der ICE fährt am schnellsten.
Most people don’t drive as fast as he does. Die meisten Leute fahren nicht so schnell wie er.
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