méi ... wéi
Comparing: Méi ... Wéi
méi + adjective + wéi or ewéi = -er than: méi grouss wéi (bigger than).
How It Works
1. Building the comparative
Put méi before the adjective. English chooses between -er and more, but Luxembourgish uses méi for almost everything:
- kleng → méi kleng (smaller)
- al → méi al (older)
- séier → méi séier (faster)
- deier → méi deier (more expensive)
- interessant → méi interessant (more interesting)
You may meet the word gréisser, but it means fairly large, not bigger: eng gréisser Stad (a sizeable town). To compare, say méi grouss, the form the dictionary gives.
2. Than: wéi or ewéi
Both words are correct: méi grouss wéi Japan, méi al ewéi ech. A pronoun after them has the subject form: ech, du, hien, not mech or dech. Do not use als here; in Luxembourgish als means as (in a role).
3. With verbs
The same pattern describes how someone does something: Hie fiert méi séier ewéi säi Brudder (He drives faster than his brother). See Adjectives as Adverbs.
4. Much more
Put vill before méi for much: vill méi grouss (much bigger).
5. A whole clause after wéi
When a clause follows, its verb goes to the end, and a comma comes before wéi: Et ass méi deier, wéi ech geduecht hunn. See The Verb at the End.
6. Words with their own form
A few very common words do not use méi: gutt → besser, gär → léiwer, wéineg → manner. See Irregular Comparatives. For as ... as, see Esou ... wéi, and for the most, see The Superlative.
Examples (6)
- Lëtzebuerg ass méi kleng wéi Frankräich.
Luxembourg is smaller than France.
- D'Anna ass méi al ewéi ech.
Anna is older than me.
Ewéi works just like wéi, and the pronoun after it is ech.
- Den Zuch ass méi séier wéi de Bus.
The train is faster than the bus.
- Paräis ass vill méi grouss wéi Lëtzebuerg.
Paris is much bigger than Luxembourg.
Vill before méi means much.
- Et ass méi deier, wéi ech geduecht hunn.
It is more expensive than I thought.
The clause after wéi has its verb at the end.
- Hie fiert méi séier ewéi säi Brudder.
He drives faster than his brother.
Méi also compares how actions are done.
Common Mistakes
Using the object pronoun after wéi.
D'Anna ass méi al wéi mech.D'Anna ass méi al wéi ech.After wéi or ewéi, use the same pronoun you would use as the subject: ech, du, hien.
Putting méi before gutt.
Den Téi ass méi gutt wéi de Kaffi.Den Téi ass besser wéi de Kaffi.Gutt has its own comparative, besser, so it never takes méi.
Using als for than, as in German.
Kanada ass méi grouss als Japan.Kanada ass méi grouss wéi Japan.In Luxembourgish, than is wéi or ewéi. Als means as, for a role or a job.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Comparing: Méi ... wéi, learn Adjectives After Sinn.
Related Patterns
- besser / léiwer / mannerIrregular Comparatives
The few words that do not use méi.
Level 2 - esou ... wéiAs ... as: Esou ... Wéi
Says that two things are equal instead of different.
Level 2 - am ... -stenThe Superlative: Am ... Sten
The next step: the superlative.
Level 2 - ëmmer méiMore and More: Ëmmer Méi
Uses méi to describe something that keeps growing.
Level 4 - jee méi ... desto méiThe More ..., The More ...
Links two comparatives that grow together.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice méi ... wéi in Bubblegum
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