A2 · Adjectives
Bigger, smaller, the biggest: से and सबसे
comparison of adjectives
Than is से after the thing compared with, the most is सबसे, and the adjective itself never changes its ending for it.
At a glance
- Remember
- Than is se, most is sabse, and the adjective follows the first thing named.
- Form
- Y से बड़ाbigger than Y
- Signal words
- से
- सबसे
- ज़्यादा
- कम
- जितना
- Trap
- Wrong:मेरी बहन मुझसे छोटा है।Right:मेरी बहन मुझसे छोटी है।
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| bigger than Y | Y से बड़ा |
| more expensive than Y | Y से ज़्यादा महँगा |
| less … than Y | Y से कम … |
| the biggest | सबसे बड़ा |
| as big as Y | Y जितना बड़ा |
| even bigger | और भी बड़ा |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
“Than” is से after the thing compared with; the adjective stays as it is.
हाथी घोड़े से बड़ा होता है।An elephant is bigger than a horse.
ज़्यादा adds “more”, कम “less”.
यह होटल उस होटल से ज़्यादा महँगा है।This hotel is more expensive than that one.
सबसे before the adjective makes the superlative.
वह कक्षा में सबसे लंबी है।She is the tallest in the class.
The adjective agrees with the first thing named, not with the one after से.
मेरी बहन मुझसे छोटी है।My sister is younger than me.
जितना says “as … as”.
यह कमरा उस कमरे जितना बड़ा है।This room is as big as that one.
Example sentences
आज कल से ज़्यादा गर्मी है।It is hotter today than yesterday.
मेरा भाई मुझसे बड़ा है।My brother is older than me.
यह सबसे अच्छी दुकान है।This is the best shop.
ट्रेन बस से तेज़ चलती है।The train is faster than the bus.
यह रास्ता उस रास्ते से छोटा है।This route is shorter than that one.
हमारे घर में रसोई सबसे छोटा कमरा है।The kitchen is the smallest room in our house.
6 more example sentences
सोना चाँदी से महँगा है।Gold is more expensive than silver.
यह शहर का सबसे पुराना मंदिर है।This is the oldest temple in the town.
मेरा कमरा तुम्हारे कमरे जितना बड़ा नहीं है।My room is not as big as yours.
इस साल पिछले साल से कम बारिश हुई।There was less rain this year than last year.
वह मुझसे ज़्यादा तेज़ दौड़ती है।She runs faster than me.
अब मौसम और भी ठंडा है।Now the weather is even colder.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
A man speaking thinks of himself after से and makes the adjective masculine. But the adjective describes the sister, the first thing named, so it is feminine: छोटी.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Hindi adjectives have no comparative or superlative endings — no “-er” and no “-est”. To compare two things, put से (than) after the second one and leave the adjective as it is: हाथी घोड़े से बड़ा होता है, “an elephant is bigger than a horse”, literally “elephant horse-than big is”.
To make the comparison explicit, add ज़्यादा (more) or कम (less) before the adjective: यह होटल उससे ज़्यादा महँगा है, यह रास्ता कम लंबा है. With a plain adjective ज़्यादा is optional; “less” always needs कम.
The superlative is सबसे, “than all”, before the adjective: सबसे बड़ा(the biggest)सबसे अच्छी दुकान(the best shop) The group can be named with में: कक्षा में सबसे लंबी, “the tallest in the class”.
The adjective agrees with the first thing named, the one being described, never with the thing after से: मेरी बहन मुझसे छोटी है, “my sister is younger than me” — feminine for the sister, whoever “me” is. “As big as” is जितना बड़ा, with जितना agreeing too.
A closer look
No -er and -est
Everyday Hindi builds every comparison with से and सबसे. Formal Hindi borrows a few comparative words from Sanskrit — अधिक(more)श्रेष्ठ(best) — and you will meet them in newspapers and notices In conversation, ज़्यादा and सबसे cover everything.
और: even more
और before an adjective, often with भी, means “even more”: अब मौसम और भी ठंडा है, “now it is even colder”. It compares a thing with itself at an earlier moment, without naming that moment.
Worth knowing (2)
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सबसे with an adverb
सबसे works with adverbs too: सबसे पहले is “first of all”, सबसे ज़्यादा “most of all”.
सबसे पहले हाथ धोइए।First of all, wash your hands.
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The group with में
The group a superlative picks from is named with में: “of the three brothers”, “in the class”.
तीनों भाइयों में राजू सबसे छोटा है।Of the three brothers, Raju is the youngest.
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