më + Adjective + se / sesa

Comparative of Superiority

Level 2

The comparative of superiority in Albanian is formed by placing the particle më (more) before the adjective and using se or sesa (than) to introduce the object of comparison.

How It Works

To compare two things in Albanian, follow this structure:

[Subject] + [Verb] + më + [Linking Article + Adjective] + se/sesa + [Comparison]

  • The Particle 'më': This word never changes. It is placed immediately before the adjective or its linking article (e.g., më i madh).
  • Linking Articles: Most adjectives require a linking article (i, e, të). These must agree with the subject in gender and number. For example, më i mirë (masculine) vs. më e mirë (feminine). Note that 'së' is not used in this basic nominative structure.
  • Adjectives without Articles: For adjectives that do not use linking articles (often loanwords like modern or interesant), më is placed directly before the word: më modern, më interesant.
  • Stem Changes: While the comparative formation is regular, the adjective itself still follows its base morphological rules. This means if an adjective has a stem change in the plural, it remains in the comparative: i madh (big) becomes më të mëdhenj (bigger, plural).
  • Se vs. Sesa: Both mean 'than'. Se is common in everyday speech. Sesa is often used before pronouns or in formal writing to improve flow.
  • Case: The noun or pronoun following se/sesa is typically in the nominative case.
  • Regularity: Unlike English (good → better), Albanian adjectives are very regular. Even i mirë (good) and i keq (bad) simply add më: më i mirë and më i keq.

Examples (4)

  1. Ky libër është më i vjetër se ai.

    This book is older than that one.

    Word by Word: This book is more the old than that.

    Here, 'më' precedes the masculine adjective 'i vjetër'. 'Se' is used for a simple comparison between two nouns.

  2. Ajo është më e gjatë sesa unë.

    She is taller than I am.

    Word by Word: She is more the tall than I.

    When comparing to a personal pronoun like 'unë' (I), 'sesa' is frequently preferred over 'se'.

  3. Këto makina janë më të shpejta se ato.

    These cars are faster than those.

    Word by Word: These cars are more the fast than those.

    Notice how the linking article 'të' and the adjective ending '-a' change to show plural agreement.

  4. Molla është më e ëmbël se dardha.

    The apple is sweeter than the pear.

    Word by Word: The apple is more the sweet than the pear.

    The feminine linking article 'e' is used because 'molla' (the apple) is a feminine noun.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the linking article (i/e/të) after 'më'.

    Ai është më madh se vëllai.
    Ai është më i madh se vëllai.

    Learners often say 'më madh' instead of 'më i madh'. In Albanian, the adjective's linking article is mandatory unless it is an unarticulated adjective (which is rare).

  • Using the accusative case for pronouns after 'se'.

    Ti je më i ri se mua.
    Ti je më i ri se unë.

    In Standard Albanian, the object of comparison after 'se' or 'sesa' should be in the nominative case (unë), not the accusative (mua).

How It Connects

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më + Adjective + se / sesaLevel 2Comparative of Superiority

Learn This First

To form the comparative of superiority in Albanian, you must first understand how adjectives use link particles (i/e) and how to use the verb 'jam' (to be) for basic descriptions. Additionally, familiarity with the conjunction 'se' is necessary as it serves as the marker for 'than' in comparative structures.

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