Turkish Language - Adjectives Comparison



The Comparison of Adjectives The Degree of Equality The degree of equality is obtained by the use of kadar.. - [Lit: "its amount"] - as.. Londra İstanbul kadar güzel. - London is as beautiful as Istanbul. Mehmet Ali kadar zengin. - Mehmet is as rich as Ali. Kar kadar beyaz. - As white as snow. The Negative Equality The negative comparison is marked by the use of - değil - is not - placed after the comparison. Londra İstanbul kadar güzel değil. - London is not as beautiful as Istanbul. Ayşe Deren kadar boylu değil. - Ayşe is not as tall as Deren. The Degree of Comparison: This comparison is made by using - daha - more - and suffixing the object being compared with -dan or -den - from - thus giving the sense - "than" - in the comparison. Mehmet Ali'den daha zengin. - Mehmet is richer than Ali. İstanbul Londra'dan daha güzel. - Istanbul is more beautiful than London. Demir sudan daha ağır. - Iron is heavier than water. The Negative of Comparison The Negative First Degree Comparison uses az - less Londra İstanbul'dan az meşgul. - London is less busy than İstanbul. Bulmacalar Türkçe derslerden az ilginç. - Crosswords are less interesting than Turkish lessons The Positive Superlative The Third Degree of Comparison is obtained by using en - the most Mehmet en zengin adam. - Mehmet is the richest man. Dünyanın en güzel şehri, İstanbul. - Istanbul is the world's most beautiful city. The Negative Superlative The Negative uses - en az - the least - [Lit: the most less..] Dünyanın en az zengin memleketleri Afrika'da. - The least richest countries of the world are in Africa. However, the fact is that although possible, usage of - en az - for negative superlatives is not common. The preferred way is to use the superlative form of opposite adjective. So, the preferred way of the example is: Dünyanİn en fakir memleketleri Afrika'da. - The world's poorest countries are in Africa. The more common usage of - en az - is - at least... Ahmet en az Mehmet kadar zekidir. - Ahmet is at least as intelligent as Mehmet Sen de en az benim kadar yeteneklisin. - You are at least as talented as me. kadar iyi - as good as.. bu, o kadar iyi - this, is as good as that. bu onun kadar iyi - this is as good as that. -dan daha iyi - better than.. bu, ondan daha iyi - this, is better than that. en iyisi - the best.. bu, en iyisi(dir) - [Lit: iyisi - the best..] - this, is the best of all Many thanks to Ahmet A. Akin for suggestions to this section - JG Nov. 2006 Further Shades of Degree çok - too, very, many.. çok para istiyor - he wants a lot of money çok mutluyum - I'm very happy çok odalı bir otel - a hotel containing many rooms en çok - the most.. en çok para - the most money Ali'nin en çok parası var - Ali has got the most money tepede en çok ev var - most of the houses are on the hill daha - more.. iki çay daha, lütfen - two more teas, please daha beş bira, lütfen - five beers more, please fazla - too much, excessive.. fazla yemek geldi - too much food has arrived fazla para istediler - they wanted too much money daha fazla - much more.. daha fazla yemek geldi - much more food has arrived daha fazla para istediler - they wanted much more money The Negative Forms az, biraz - a little.. az sonra çarşıya gidiyorum - I'm going to the shops a little later on biraz tuz istiyorum - I want a little salt daha az - [Lit: more less(er)] - lesser.. yemeğe daha az tuz koyunuz - put less salt on the food buralarda, daha az polis var - there are less policemen around here pek az - [Lit: a bit less(er)] - very little.. pek az sigara kullanıyorum - I smoke (cigarettes) just a little pek az şeker istiyorum - I only want a little sugar çok az - [lit: a lot little(er)] - extremely little.. çok az benzin kalıyor - just a small amount of petrol is left çok az para istedi - he only wanted a very small amount of money	Double-Click anywhere for Top of Page

The Comparison of Adjectives

The Degree of Equality

The degree of equality is obtained by the use of kadar.. - [Lit: "its amount"] - as..
Londra İstanbul kadar güzel. - London is as beautiful as Istanbul.
Mehmet Ali kadar zengin. - Mehmet is as rich as Ali.
Kar kadar beyaz. - As white as snow.

The Negative Equality

The negative comparison is marked by the use of - değil - is not - placed after the comparison.
Londra İstanbul kadar güzel değil. - London is not as beautiful as Istanbul.
Ayşe Deren kadar boylu değil. - Ayşe is not as tall as Deren.

The Degree of Comparison:

This comparison is made by using - daha - more - and suffixing the object being compared with -dan or -den - from - thus giving the sense - "than" - in the comparison.
Mehmet Ali'den daha zengin. - Mehmet is richer than Ali.
İstanbul Londra'dan daha güzel. - Istanbul is more beautiful than London.
Demir sudan daha ağır. - Iron is heavier than water.

The Negative of Comparison

The Negative First Degree Comparison uses az - less
Londra İstanbul'dan az meşgul. - London is less busy than İstanbul.
Bulmacalar Türkçe derslerden az ilginç. - Crosswords are less interesting than Turkish lessons

The Positive Superlative

The Third Degree of Comparison is obtained by using en - the most
Mehmet en zengin adam. - Mehmet is the richest man.
Dünyanın en güzel şehri, İstanbul. - Istanbul is the world's most beautiful city.

The Negative Superlative

The Negative uses - en az - the least - [Lit: the most less..]
Dünyanın en az zengin memleketleri Afrika'da. - The least richest countries of the world are in Africa.
However, the fact is that although possible, usage of - en az - for negative superlatives is not common. The preferred way is to use the superlative form of opposite adjective. So, the preferred way of the example is:
Dünyanİn en fakir memleketleri Afrika'da. - The world's poorest countries are in Africa.

The more common usage of - en az - is - at least...: Ahmet en az Mehmet kadar zekidir. - Ahmet is at least as intelligent as Mehmet; Sen de en az benim kadar yeteneklisin. - You are at least as talented as me.
kadar iyi - as good as..: bu, o kadar iyi - this, is as good as that.; bu onun kadar iyi - this is as good as that.
-dan daha iyi - better than..: bu, ondan daha iyi - this, is better than that.
en iyisi - the best..: bu, en iyisi(dir) - [Lit: iyisi - the best..] - this, is the best of all

Many thanks to Ahmet A. Akin for suggestions to this section - JG Nov. 2006

Further Shades of Degree

çok - too, very, many..: çok para istiyor - he wants a lot of money; çok mutluyum - I'm very happy; çok odalı bir otel - a hotel containing many rooms
en çok - the most..: en çok para - the most money; Ali'nin en çok parası var - Ali has got the most money; tepede en çok ev var - most of the houses are on the hill
daha - more..: iki çay daha, lütfen - two more teas, please; daha beş bira, lütfen - five beers more, please
fazla - too much, excessive..: fazla yemek geldi - too much food has arrived; fazla para istediler - they wanted too much money
daha fazla - much more..: daha fazla yemek geldi - much more food has arrived; daha fazla para istediler - they wanted much more money

The Negative Forms

az, biraz - a little..: az sonra çarşıya gidiyorum - I'm going to the shops a little later on; biraz tuz istiyorum - I want a little salt
daha az - [Lit: more less(er)] - lesser..: yemeğe daha az tuz koyunuz - put less salt on the food; buralarda, daha az polis var - there are less policemen around here
pek az - [Lit: a bit less(er)] - very little..: pek az sigara kullanıyorum - I smoke (cigarettes) just a little; pek az şeker istiyorum - I only want a little sugar
çok az - [lit: a lot little(er)] - extremely little..: çok az benzin kalıyor - just a small amount of petrol is left; çok az para istedi - he only wanted a very small amount of money