wie/als

As...As / than

Level 2

wie = equality (so... wie / as... as)
als = inequality (comparative -er + als / than)

How It Works

To compare things in German, you must distinguish between equality and difference:

  • Equality (wie): When two things are the same, use so + [adjective] + wie. For example: so groß wie (as big as). This also applies to negative equality: nicht so groß wie (not as big as).
  • Inequality (als): When one thing is 'more' than another, use the comparative adjective followed by als. For example: größer als (bigger than).
  • Special Case (Comparing Qualities): Use mehr only when comparing two different qualities of the same person or thing (e.g., Er ist mehr mutig als klug).
  • Special Case (anders als): The word anders (different) is always followed by als.

Spelling & Irregulars:

  • Umlauts: Many one-syllable adjectives add an umlaut in the comparative (e.g., alt → älter, groß → größer).
  • Dropping 'e': Adjectives ending in -el drop the internal 'e', and so do adjectives ending in -er after a vowel (e.g., dunkel → dunkler, teuer → teurer; but sauber → sauberer).
  • Irregulars: Become proficient in high-frequency exceptions like gut → besser and viel → mehr.

Case Matching: The noun or pronoun after wie or als must be in the same grammatical case as the noun it is being compared to. If you compare two subjects, both are Nominative. If you compare two objects, both are Accusative or Dative.

Examples (6)

  1. Ich bin so groß wie mein Bruder.

    I am as tall as my brother.

    Word by Word: I am so tall as my brother.

    This shows equality using 'so... wie' with the basic form of the adjective 'groß'.

  2. Ein Auto ist schneller als ein Fahrrad.

    A car is faster than a bicycle.

    Word by Word: A car is faster than a bicycle.

    This shows inequality using the comparative form 'schneller' followed by 'als'.

  3. Er ist nicht so alt wie ich.

    He is not as old as I am.

    Word by Word: He is not so old as I.

    Even in negative comparisons ('not as... as'), German still uses 'wie' because it is based on the structure of equality.

  4. Das Wetter hier ist anders als in Berlin.

    The weather here is different than in Berlin.

    Word by Word: The weather here is different than in Berlin.

    The word 'anders' (different) always takes 'als', even though it is not a comparative adjective ending in -er.

  5. Er mag dich mehr als mich.

    He likes you more than (he likes) me.

    Word by Word: He likes you more than me.

    Notice the case matching: 'mich' is in the accusative case because it is being compared to the object 'dich'.

  6. Der Film war genauso spannend wie das Buch.

    The movie was just as exciting as the book.

    Word by Word: The movie was exactly-so exciting as the book.

    'Genauso... wie' is a common way to emphasize that two things are exactly equal.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'wie' after a comparative adjective.

    Ich bin kleiner wie du.
    Ich bin kleiner als du.

    In standard German, 'wie' is only for equality. If the adjective ends in -er (comparative), you must use 'als'.

  • Using 'mehr' + adjective instead of the -er suffix when comparing two things.

    Das Auto ist mehr teuer als das Fahrrad.
    Das Auto ist teurer als das Fahrrad.

    Unlike English, which uses 'more' for long adjectives, German adds the -er suffix to the adjective itself. Only use 'mehr' when comparing two different qualities of the same thing (e.g., 'Er ist mehr mutig als klug').

  • Using the wrong case for pronouns after the comparison particle.

    Er hilft dir mehr als ich.
    Er hilft dir mehr als mir.

    If you mean 'He helps you more than he helps me,' you must use the dative 'mir' to match the dative object 'dir'.

How It Connects

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

wie/alsLevel 2As...As / than

Learn This First

To use 'wie' and 'als' for comparisons, you first need to know how to use basic adjectives in sentences. You also need to understand the comparative form of adjectives (ending in -er) because 'als' is exclusively used with these forms to show difference, while 'wie' is used with the base form to show equality.

Words in This Pattern