Comparison of Adverbs
How to compare adverbs
Swedish adverbs can be compared in three degrees, positive, comparative, and superlative, much like Swedish adjectives.
Positive
The positive is the basic adverb and isn't used for comparing at all, but is seen as the first degree.
Jag hoppar högt.I jump high.
Comparative
The comparative form is used to compare two options against each other. When both are mentioned, the comparison can be made visible with the word än. The form is usually constructed by adding the ending -(a)re to the word itself or by placing mer in front of it.
Du hoppar högre än jag.You jump higher than I do.
Du jobbar mer entusiastiskt än din syster.You work more enthusiastically than your sister.
Superlative
The superlative is the highest degree of comparison and usually ends in -(a)st or is preceded by the word mest.
Hon hoppar högst.She jumps highest.
Du jobbar mest entusiastiskt.You work most enthusiastically.
Some adverbs change their stem: nära → närmare → närmast
Irregular forms
Several very common adverbs have irregular comparison forms.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| gärna | hellre | helst |
| väl | bättre | bäst |
| illa | sämre | sämst |
| mycket | mer | mest |
| lite | mindre | minst |