Irregular Comparisons

Level 2

goed → beter → beste · baie → meer → meeste · min → minder → minste · graag → liewer → liefste · naby → nader → naaste

How It Works

The five irregular sets

  • goed → beter → beste (good, better, best): Jou plan is beter. Sy is die beste speler.
  • baie → meer → meeste (much or many, more, most): Ek het meer tyd as jy. The formal word veel uses the same forms.
  • min → minder → minste (little or few, less or fewer, least or fewest): Hy eet minder suiker. Minder and minste also serve as the compared forms of 'n bietjie and weinig.
  • graag → liewer → liefste (gladly, rather, most of all): Ek drink liewer tee. Wat doen jy die liefste? In everyday speech you will also hear liewers. See Graag (Like Doing).
  • naby → nader → naaste (near, nearer, nearest): die naaste winkel (the nearest shop). Nader is common after verbs of movement: Kom nader! (Come closer!)

Amounts, not very
The set baie → meer → meeste is for amounts: baie mense → meer mense → die meeste mense. When baie means very, it does not compare. The adjective after it does: baie mooi → mooier.

How to use them
They work like any other comparative or superlative. Use as after the comparative for than: beter as gister. Put die before the superlative: die beste, die meeste mense.

Never double up
Do not combine these forms with meer or mees or with an extra ending. Die mees beste and meer beter are wrong. Say die beste and beter.

Examples (6)

  1. Hierdie plan is goed, maar joune is beter.

    This plan is good, but yours is better.

    Word by Word: This plan is good, but yours is better.

  2. Sy is die beste speler in die span.

    She is the best player on the team.

    Word by Word: She is the best player in the team.

  3. Ek het meer tyd as jy, maar Pieter het die meeste tyd.

    I have more time than you, but Pieter has the most time.

    Word by Word: I have more time than you, but Pieter has the most time.

  4. Hy eet deesdae minder suiker.

    He eats less sugar these days.

    Word by Word: He eats these-days less sugar.

  5. Ek drink graag koffie, maar ek drink liewer tee.

    I like drinking coffee, but I would rather drink tea.

    Word by Word: I drink gladly coffee, but I drink rather tea.

    Liewer is the comparative of graag and means rather.

  6. Waar is die naaste apteek?

    Where is the nearest pharmacy?

    Word by Word: Where is the nearest pharmacy?

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -er to goed.

    Hierdie boek is goeder as daardie een.
    Hierdie boek is beter as daardie een.

    Goed has no regular comparative. Better is always beter.

  • Adding -er to baie.

    Ons het vandag baier werk.
    Ons het vandag meer werk.

    The comparative of baie is meer, and the superlative is meeste.

  • Putting mees in front of an irregular superlative.

    Dit was die mees beste dag van my lewe.
    Dit was die beste dag van my lewe.

    Beste already means best. Afrikaans never puts mees in front of a -ste form.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Irregular ComparisonsLevel 2

Learn This First

A few adjectives change their form in the comparative and superlative.

Words in This Pattern

minmingraagnabymeermeerminderminderliewerbeter