võrdlev

Võrdlev is a term used in Estonian grammar to denote the comparative degree of adjectives and, to a lesser extent, adverbs. The word itself is derived from võrd- meaning to compare or equal, and -lev, forming an adjective that describes a relation of two or more items. In practical grammar, võrdlev aste expresses that one quality is greater or lesser relative to another.

In use, the comparative is employed when comparing two entities or states, commonly with the conjunction kui meaning “than.” For example, the sentence See maja on suurem kui see means “This house is bigger than that.” Similarly, Ta on kiirem kui tema kolleeg translates to “He is faster than his colleague.” In addition to inflectional comparisons, Estonian also forms some adverbial comparatives, such as jookseb kiiremini kui mina, meaning “runs faster than I.”

Morphology and variability are characteristic of võrdlev aste. Most adjectives form the comparative by adding a suffix or undergoing a stem change (for instance, suur → suurem, kiiro → kiirem), with irregular forms existing for several common adjectives (such as hea → parem). The superlative is formed separately, usually with the word pärast või kõnekeeles koos kõigi omadussõnade prefiksi kõige, as in kõige suurem meaning “the biggest.” Colloquial usage may exhibit regional or informal variants, but the standard pattern remains a core part of Estonian grammar and education.