To compare, most short adjectives have a form of their own, the comparative: the form for more. is warm, warmer · is cold, colder · is big, bigger. It is built from the consonants of the adjective: an in front, and an before the last one. So gives , gives , gives . Only starts with . Tap the forms to hear them.
The comparative
| Adjective | Comparative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| i- in front, a before the last consonant | ||
| warm · warmer | ||
| warm · warmer | ||
| cold · colder | ||
| cold · colder | ||
| nice · nicer | ||
| nice · nicer | ||
| long, tall · longer, taller | ||
| long, tall · longer, taller | ||
| short · shorter | ||
| short · shorter | ||
| small, young · smaller, younger | ||
| small, young · smaller, younger | ||
| heavy · heavier | ||
| heavy · heavier | ||
| far · further | ||
| far · further | ||
| a- in front | ||
| big · bigger, older | ||
| big · bigger, older | ||
| A shape of its own | ||
| good · better | ||
| good · better | ||
| bad · worse | ||
| bad · worse | ||
The comparative never changes: it is the same for masculine, feminine and plural. , the sea is warmer · , winter is colder · , the days are longer.
Is-sajf! Il-ġranet itwal, u l-baħar isħan.Summer! The days are longer, and the sea is warmer.
Għawdex isbaħ, forsi. Imma ibgħad.Gozo is nicer, maybe. But further away.
Għawdex isbaħ, forsi. Imma ibgħad.Gozo is nicer, maybe. But further away.
Than is : , colder than here · . Before the article, joins it, as in module 1, and takes a sun letter's sound: , than the summer · , than the sea. With a person, takes the endings you know from : , older than you. Only is a little shorter: .
Than me, than you: with an ending
| Person | Example | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | |||
| than me · Ġorġ is taller than me. | |||
| than me · Ġorġ is taller than me. | |||
| than you · Marija is older than you. | |||
| than you · Marija is older than you. | |||
| than him · Ella is younger than him. | |||
| than him · Ella is younger than him. | |||
| than her · Ġorġ is younger than her. | |||
| than her · Ġorġ is younger than her. | |||
| Plural | |||
| than us · They're taller than us. | |||
| than us · They're taller than us. | |||
| than you · We're older than you. | |||
| than you · We're older than you. | |||
| than them · Ċikku is smaller than them. | |||
| than them · Ċikku is smaller than them. | |||
is bigger, and for people older; is smaller, and younger. is tall too, so is taller.
Longer adjectives, and the ones from Italian or English, have no comparative of their own. They take , more, in front: , more interesting · , more expensive. goes before a noun as well: , more rain.
Iksaħ minn hawn, u iktar xita.Colder than here, and more rain.
Iksaħ minn hawn, u iktar xita.Colder than here, and more rain.
Iksaħ mis-sajf! F'Jannar, bil-lejl, tmien gradi.Colder than summer! In January, at night, eight degrees.
Jien akbar minnek, u Ella iżgħar minnek.I'm older than you, and Ella is younger than you.
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the comparatives.
.
In Hamburg it's colder than here.
.
In Hamburg it's colder than here.
, .
The days are longer, and the sea is warmer.
, .
Gozo is nicer, but further away.
, .
Ġorġ is older than you, but Ella is younger.
.
In winter the days are shorter.
.
Tonio's bag is heavier than mine.
, .
Lina's coffee is better than mine, and mine is worse.
, .
Lina's coffee is better than mine, and mine is worse.
Practice 2/6 · The right form
The right form
Choose the form that fits.
Ix-xitwa mis-sajf.
Winter is colder than summer.
Il-baħar f'Malta minn Hamburg.
The sea in Malta is warmer than in Hamburg.
Fis-sajf il-ġranet mix-xitwa.
In summer the days are longer than in winter.
Fix-xitwa l-ġranet mis-sajf.
In winter the days are shorter than in summer.
Il-baħar f'Għawdex minn hawn.
The sea in Gozo is nicer than here.
Ġorġ minn Ella.
Ġorġ is older than Ella.
Ella minn Ġorġ.
Ella is younger than Ġorġ.
Il-borża ta' Tonio minn tiegħi.
Tonio's bag is heavier than mine.
Għawdex mill-Belt.
Gozo is further away than Valletta.
Il-kafè ta' Lina minn tiegħi.
Lina's coffee is better than mine.
Il-kafè ta' Lina minn tiegħi.
Lina's coffee is better than mine.
Il-kafè tiegħi minn ta' Lina.
My coffee is worse than Lina's.
Il-kafè tiegħi minn ta' Lina.
My coffee is worse than Lina's.
Than whom?
Choose the right word for the gap.
Ġorġ itwal .
Ġorġ is taller than me.
Ġorġ itwal .
Ġorġ is taller than me.
Jien akbar .
I'm older than you.
Ġorġ? Ella iżgħar .
Ġorġ? Ella is younger than him.
Marija? Ġorġ iżgħar .
Marija? Ġorġ is younger than her.
Ġorġ u Lina itwal .
Ġorġ and Lina are taller than us.
Jien u Ġorġ akbar !
Ġorġ and I are older than you two!
Ġorġ u Lina? Ċikku iżgħar .
Ġorġ and Lina? Ċikku is smaller than them.
Ix-xitwa iksaħ .
Winter is colder than summer.
Practice 3/6 · Fill the gaps
Here and in Hamburg
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
F'Hamburg minn hawn, u xita.
In Hamburg it's colder than here, and more rain.
F'Hamburg minn hawn, u xita.
In Hamburg it's colder than here, and more rain.
Hawn il-baħar , u fis-sajf il-ġranet .
Here the sea is warmer, and in summer the days are longer.
Fix-xitwa f'Hamburg il-ġranet minn hawn.
In winter in Hamburg the days are shorter than here.
Fix-xitwa f'Hamburg il-ġranet minn hawn.
In winter in Hamburg the days are shorter than here.
Għawdex minn hawn, imma .
Gozo is nicer than here, but further away.
Jien , u Ella minnek.
I'm older than you, and Ella is younger than you.
Il-kafè ta' Lina minn tiegħi, u t-te tiegħi .
Lina's coffee is better than mine, and my tea is worse.
Il-kafè ta' Lina minn tiegħi, u t-te tiegħi .
Lina's coffee is better than mine, and my tea is worse.
Il-borża tiegħi !
My bag is heavier than me!
Ġorġ itwal , u Ċikku iżgħar kollha.
Ġorġ is taller than us, and Ċikku is smaller than all of them.
Practice 4/6 · Matching
Adjective and comparative
Match each comparative to its adjective.
Practice 5/6 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
Colder than here, and more rain.
Colder than here, and more rain.
Winter is colder than summer.
Ġorġ is older than me.
Ġorġ is older than me.
Gozo is nicer, but further away.
The sea is warmer in summer.
Ella is younger than you.
Ċikku is smaller than them.
We're older than you two.
Marija is shorter than him.
His bag is heavier than mine.
Ġorġ is taller than her.
Practice 6/6 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
Tonio asks what the weather is like in Hamburg now.
You say:
Than needs the comparative: iksaħ minn hawn.
Tonio asks what the weather is like in Hamburg now.
You say:
Than needs the comparative: iksaħ minn hawn.
Tell Tonio why summer is your favourite season.
You say:
Tell Tonio why summer is your favourite season.
You say:
Tonio says Gozo is nicer, but further away.
Tonio says:
Ella tells you that Ġorġ is older than her.
Ella says:
Tell Lina her coffee is better than yours.
You say:
Tell Lina her coffee is better than yours.
You say:
A friend in Hamburg asks about the weather in Malta. It's warmer here.
You say:
A friend in Hamburg asks about the weather in Malta. It's warmer here.
You say:
Unit complete
