esou ... wéi
As ... as: Esou ... Wéi
esou + adjective + wéi = as ... as: esou grouss wéi (as tall as).
How It Works
1. The pattern
esou (or the short form sou) + adjective + wéi (or ewéi):
- Hien ass esou grouss wéi säi Papp. (He is as tall as his dad.)
- Du bass sou al wéi ech. (You are as old as I am.)
The short form sou is written without an apostrophe; see Short Forms Without the First E. A pronoun after wéi has the subject form: wéi ech, not wéi mech.
2. Not as ... as
Put net before esou. This is often a gentle way to say that something is less: Den Téi ass net esou waarm wéi de Kaffi (The tea is not as hot as the coffee).
3. As ... as possible
esou ... wéi méiglech: Komm esou séier wéi méiglech! (Come as quickly as possible!)
4. Amounts
With vill it compares amounts: Ech hunn esou vill Zäit wéi du (I have as much time as you).
5. A whole clause after wéi
The verb goes to the end, and a comma comes before wéi: D'Aarbecht war net esou schwéier, wéi ech geduecht hunn. See The Verb at the End.
To say that two things are different, use Méi ... wéi instead.
Examples (6)
- Hien ass esou grouss wéi säi Papp.
He is as tall as his dad.
- Haut ass et net esou kal wéi gëschter.
Today it is not as cold as yesterday.
Net esou ... wéi means not as ... as.
- Du bass sou al wéi ech.
You are as old as I am.
Sou is the short form of esou.
- Komm esou séier wéi méiglech!
Come as quickly as possible!
- D'Aarbecht war net esou schwéier, wéi ech geduecht hunn.
The work was not as hard as I thought.
The clause after wéi has its verb at the end.
- Ech hunn esou vill Zäit wéi du.
I have as much time as you.
Common Mistakes
Using als instead of wéi.
Hien ass esou grouss als säi Papp.Hien ass esou grouss wéi säi Papp.The second part of as ... as is always wéi or ewéi.
Using the object pronoun after wéi.
Du bass sou al wéi mech.Du bass sou al wéi ech.After wéi, use the subject pronoun: ech, du, hien.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before As ... As: Esou ... wéi, learn Comparing: Méi ... wéi.
Related Patterns
- wéiHow: Wéi
The same word wéi also means how.
Level 1 - Short Forms Without the First e
Explains the short form sou.
Level 3 - Predicate Adjectives: sinnAdjectives After Sinn
The adjective after esou has no ending after sinn.
Level 1 - The Verb at the End of Subordinate Clauses
A clause after wéi has its verb at the end.
Level 2 - esou ... dattSo ... That: Esou ... Datt
Esou can also start a so ... that sentence.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice esou ... wéi in Bubblegum
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