shumë + Adjective

Absolute Superlative

Level 2

The Absolute Superlative expresses 'very,' 'extremely,' or 'extraordinarily' by placing an adverb before an adjective. Unlike English, the linking article stays with the adjective, appearing after the adverb.

How It Works

The Absolute Superlative (superlativi absolut) is used to describe a quality that is present to a high degree, without comparing it to anything else.

1. Common Intensifiers:

  • shumë: The neutral and most common word for 'very'.
  • jashtëzakonisht: Means 'extraordinarily' or 'unusually'.
  • tejet: Means 'extremely' or 'exceedingly'.
  • fare: Means 'completely' or 'entirely' (e.g., fare i ri - completely new).
  • më se: Used to express an even higher degree, meaning 'more than' (e.g., më se i qartë - more than clear).
  • fort: A more traditional way to say 'very' (literally 'strongly').

2. Word Order and Articles:
In Albanian, many adjectives require a linking article (i, e, të, së). When using an absolute superlative, the adverb comes first, followed by the article, then the adjective.
Example: shumë i mirë (very good).

3. Adjectives Without Articles:
For adjectives that do not use a linking article, the adverb simply precedes the adjective directly, following the standard Adverb + Adjective pattern.
Example: shumë besnik (very loyal).

4. Agreement:
The adjective must still follow the rules of gender agreement and number agreement with the noun it modifies. The adverb itself never changes form.

Examples (5)

  1. Ky libër është shumë i vlefshëm.

    This book is very valuable.

    Word by Word: This book is very [article] valuable.

    Here, 'shumë' intensifies the adjective 'i vlefshëm'. Note the article 'i' remains attached to the adjective.

  2. Ajo është një vajzë jashtëzakonisht e zgjuar.

    She is an extraordinarily smart girl.

    Word by Word: She is a girl extraordinarily [article] smart.

    The adverb 'jashtëzakonisht' provides a higher level of intensity than 'shumë'.

  3. Moti sot ishte tejet i nxehtë.

    The weather today was extremely hot.

    Word by Word: The weather today was extremely [article] hot.

    'Tejet' is often used in news or formal descriptions to emphasize extreme conditions.

  4. Ky ushqim është tepër i kripur.

    This food is too salty.

    Word by Word: This food is excessively [article] salty.

    'Tepër' usually carries the nuance of 'excessively' or 'too much'.

  5. Jemi shumë të lumtur sot.

    We are very happy today.

    Word by Word: We are very [article] happy today.

    The adjective 'të lumtur' is plural, so the linking article changes to 'të', but the adverb 'shumë' remains the same.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the linking article after the adverb.

    Ai është një burrë shumë mirë.
    Ai është një burrë shumë i mirë.

    In Albanian, 'shumë mirë' means 'very well' (adverb). To say 'a very good man', you must include the linking article 'i' before the adjective 'mirë'.

  • Placing the article before the adverb.

    Një i shumë mirë libër.
    Një libër shumë i mirë.

    The linking article belongs to the adjective and must appear immediately before it, even when an intensifier is used.

  • Using 'më' when you mean 'very'.

    Different MeaningKy është më i mirë.
    Ky është shumë i mirë.

    'Ky është më i mirë' is a good sentence, but it means 'This is better' (or 'the best'). To say 'This is very good', use 'shumë'.

How It Connects

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

shumë + AdjectiveLevel 2Absolute Superlative

Learn This First

To form the absolute superlative in Albanian, you need to understand how basic adjectives are structured using linking particles and how they agree with nouns in gender. Once these are learned, you can use intensifying adverbs such as 'shumë' (very), 'tepër' (too/extremely), or 'jashtëzakonisht' (extraordinarily) to modify the adjective's intensity.

Words in This Pattern

tepërjashtëzakonisht