Rather Tall, Too Tall
No quam, no than: read the comparative as rather or too.
How It Works
| Latin | Plain form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| altior | altus | rather tall |
| senior | senex | rather old |
| pulchrior | pulcher | rather beautiful |
| tardius | tarde | rather late, too late |
| audacius | audacter | rather boldly, too boldly |
Look for a than-word. If there is a quam or an ablative of comparison, the comparative means more than. If not, it means rather or too.
Latin has no separate small word for rather in these sentences, so the comparative does the job. The rest of the sentence gives the clue.
For too much, Latin also uses nimis. Paulo (a little) can sit with a comparative: paulo longior (a little longer).
Examples (5)
- Hic liber longior est.
This book is rather long.
Longior has no quam, so it means rather long.
- Mulier iam senior ad ecclesiam lente it.
The woman, now rather old, goes to church slowly.
Senior here means rather old, not older than someone.
- Tardius venisti.
You came rather late.
Tardius can also mean too late. The speaker's tone decides.
- Audacius locutus est.
He spoke rather boldly.
Audacius is the comparative adverb. Audacter is the plain adverb.
- Sermo sacerdotis longior erat.
The priest's sermon was rather long.
Longior with no quam means rather long.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A comparative can mean rather or too.
Related Patterns
- Faster, Fastest: celerius, celerrime
The comparative adverb forms such as tardius.
Level 5 - Enough, Too Much, Too Little, Very: satis, nimis, parum, valdeEnough, Too Much, Very
Words that say too much or very.
Level 3 - Better, Worse, Bigger, Smaller
Comparatives such as melior and maior.
Level 4 - Than: quam
What the comparative means when there is a than.
Level 4
Practice Rather Tall, Too Tall in Bubblegum
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