Superlativer

Superlativer are the grammatical forms used to express the highest degree of a property within a group of items. They sit at the top of the traditional three-part scale of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. In many languages, superlatives can be formed morphologically, analytically, or a combination of both.

In English, superlatives are produced in two main ways. Short adjectives and many adverbs take the suffix -est (tall → tallest; fast → fastest). For longer or less common adjectives, English usually uses most before the adjective or adverb (most beautiful; most quickly). There are also irregular forms, such as good → best, bad → worst, far → farthest/farthest. The superlative is typically used with the determiner the, as in "This is the tallest building in town," indicating comparison among three or more referents.

Other languages vary in their approach. German uses endings such as -ste or -sten on the adjective, with the definite article often marking the superlative: "der größte Mann" (the greatest man) and "am schnellsten" for the adverb. Romance languages commonly employ periphrastic constructions with más/più or más + adjective (Spanish "el más rápido," French "le plus rapide," Italian "il più veloce"). Some languages also have true morphological superlatives for certain adjectives.

Irregularities, scope, and placement can differ across languages. Superlatives commonly modify adjectives and, less often, adverbs, and they convey a comparison across a larger set, not just two items. They are a fundamental element of the broader system of degrees of comparison in grammar.