Comparative Adverbs (-mini)

Comparative Adverbs

Level 4

Ta räägib paremini kui mina means she speaks better than I do. Adverbs use -mini or -malt, not the adjective form parem.

How It Works

Adjectives compare with -m: kiire → kiirem. Adverbs that say how something is done need their own comparative forms:

  • kiiresti (fast) → kiiremini
  • hästi (well) → paremini
  • halvasti (badly) → halvemini
  • sageli (often) → sagedamini
  • aeglaselt (slowly) → aeglasemalt
  • täpselt (exactly) → täpsemalt

The rule of thumb: -sti adverbs become -mini, and -lt adverbs become -malt. A few -lt adverbs allow both: lühidalt → lühemalt or lühemini.

Short words with their own forms:

  • palju → rohkem (more), vähe → vähem (less)
  • vara → varem (earlier), hilja → hiljem (later)
  • kaua → kauem (longer), kaugel → kaugemal (farther away)

Compare with kui or with the elative: Ta jookseb kiiremini kui mina. = Ta jookseb minust kiiremini.

For the superlative, put kõige in front: kõige kiiremini, kõige rohkem.

Keep the adjective form for describing a noun or after olema: Ta on kiirem. (She is faster.) But: Ta jookseb kiiremini. (She runs faster.)

Examples (6)

  1. Ta räägib eesti keelt juba paremini kui mina.

    She already speaks Estonian better than I do.

    Hästi → paremini.

  2. Palun räägi aeglasemalt!

    Please speak more slowly!

    Aeglaselt → aeglasemalt.

  3. Rong sõidab bussist kiiremini.

    The train goes faster than the bus.

    The thing compared can go in the elative: bussist kiiremini = kiiremini kui buss.

  4. Ma pean rohkem magama ja vähem töötama.

    I need to sleep more and work less.

  5. Sel aastal käin ujumas sagedamini.

    This year I go swimming more often.

    Sageli → sagedamini.

  6. Kes jõudis kohale kõige kiiremini?

    Who got there the fastest?

    Kõige plus the comparative adverb makes the superlative.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the adjective comparative to say how something is done.

    Ta jookseb kiirem kui mina.
    Ta jookseb kiiremini kui mina.

    Kiirem describes a person or thing. To describe how someone runs, use the adverb kiiremini.

  • Adding -mini to rohkem or vähem.

    Ma tahan rohkemini õppida.
    Ma tahan rohkem õppida.

    Rohkem and vähem are already comparative forms.

How It Connects

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

Comparative Adverbs (-mini)Level 4Comparative Adverbs

Learn This First

Comparative adverbs combine the comparative and the adverb.

Words in This Pattern

rohkemvähem-lt