There are three types of degree of comparison adjectives in Italian: positivo (positive), comparativo (comparative), and superlativo (superlative).
Positive Adjectives (Aggettivi di Grado Positivo)
Italian positive adjectives are those that do not provide any comparison:
Il clima è mite.
The climate is mild.
La poltrona è comoda.
The seat is comfortable.
Comparative Adjectives (Aggettivi di Grado Comparativo)
An adjective is comparative when it expresses a comparison between people, animals, things, different degrees of quality, or diverse actions. With respect to the type of comparison offered, the comparative can be:
- of maggioranza—expressed by the adverb più (placed before the adjective) and the preposition di or the conjunction che (placed before the second term of comparison):
Piero è più studioso di Andrea.
Piero is more studious than Andrea.
Carlo è più pigro che volenteroso.
Charles is more lazy than eager.
NOTE: Che is preferred instead of da before an adjective, participle, or infinitive.
- of uguaglianza, expressed by the correlative adverbs (tanto)…quanto, (così)…come:
Giulia è (tanto) bella quanto sua madre.
Julia is as beautiful as her mother.
Marco è (tanto) gentile quanto premuroso.
Mark is as gentle as he is thoughtful.
Luigi è (così) alto come Giorgio.
Luigi is as tall as George.
- of minoranza —expressed by the adverb meno (placed before the adjective) and the preposition di or the conjunction che (placed before the second term of comparison):
Sono meno paziente di te.
I'm less patient than you.
Ti considero meno volenteroso che intelligente.
I consider you less eager than intelligent.
NOTE: The comparatives of maggioranza and minoranza can sometimes be modified, reinforced, or weakened by the adverbs molto, poco, troppo, assai, tanto, alquanto, parecchio, and un po':
Mario è poco più grande del fratello.
Mario is not much bigger than his brother.
Sono molto meno stanco di te.
I am much less tired than you.
Superlative adjectives indicate an exceptional or extraordinary quality. The superlative degree may be assoluto (absolute) or relativo (relative):
- assoluto when it offers no comparison with other people or things or qualities. It is formed:
» by adding the ending issimo to the adjective
dolce—dolcissimo—dolcissimi
amara—amarissima—amarissime
NOTE: The adjectives ending in co and go retain or lose their guttural sound according to the relevant rules of plural formation:
ricco—ricchissimo
pratico—pratichissimo
NOTE: adjectives ending in io, in which the i is tonic, keep the letter in the superlative form:
pio—piissimo
NOTE: adjectives ending in io, in which the i is atonic, lose that letter in the superlative form:
saggio— saggissimo
» in a few instances by adding the ending errimo to the adjective:
acre—acerrimo
aspro—asperrimo (asprissimo)
celebre—celeberrimo
integro—integerrimo
misero—miserrimo (miserissimo)
» by adding the ending entissimo to adjectives that end in dico, fico, or vole:
benefico—beneficentissimo
benevolo—benevolentissimo
maledico—maledicentissimo
malevolo—malevolentissimo
magnifico—magnificentissimo
munifico—munificentissimo
» by repetition of the adjective:
un cane piccolo piccolo
a small dog
un'andatura lenta lenta
a slow pace
» prefacing the adjective with adverbs such as molto, assai, estremamente, straordinariamente, enormemente, or oltremodo:
un libro molto interessante
a very interesting book
una gita assai movimentata
a very eventful trip
un film estremamente realistico
an extremely realistic film
» placing phrases as quanto mai or oltre ogni dire before or after the adjective:
una giornata quanto mai noiosa
a very annoying day
un uomo abitudinario oltre ogni dire
a creature of habit beyond words
» by adding prefixes such as arci, extra, iper, sopra, sovra, stra, super, or ultra:
un'opera arcinota
a very well-known work
una matita extrafine
extra-fine pencil
un giornalista ipercritico
a hypercritical journalist
uno sforzo sovrumano
a superhuman effort
un uomo straricco
an extremely rich man
un motore superpotenze
a super-powerful engine
una politica ultraconservatrice
an ultra-conservative politician
» with the use of expressions that reinforce the meaning of the adjective:
bello da impazzire
so good-looking that it makes one crazy
matto da legare
mad as a hatter
pazzo furioso
madman
ricco sfondato
filthy rich
stanco morto
dead tired
ubriaco fradicio
blind drunk, smashed, blotto
- relativo when it indicates an exceptional or extraordinary quality; however, it must be in relation to a defined group or restricted to people or things of the same kind. It is formed:
» by prefacing the comparativo di maggioranza or comparativo di minoranza with a definite article and placing a term such as di, tra, or che before the second term of comparison:
il più serio tra i colleghi
the most serious among colleagues
il meno spiritoso della compagnia
the least witty of the group
NOTE:
» the definite article may precede the noun instead of the relative superlative:
Quello è il treno più veloce del mondo.
That is the fastest train in the world.
Quel treno è il più veloce del mondo.
That train is the fastest in the world.
» the second term of comparison can be implied:
Carlo è il più fortunato (tra gli amici, i colleghi)
Charles is the luckiest (among friends, colleagues)
