lika...som

As...as

Level 4

Use lika [adjective/adverb] som to say something is 'as [adjective/adverb] as' something else.

How It Works

The lika...som construction is the primary way to express that two entities are equal in a certain aspect. The structure is straightforward but requires attention to adjective agreement.

1. With Adjectives
The most common usage is with an adjective. In the predicative examples below, the adjective agrees in gender and number with the subject it describes.
Structure: Subject + är + lika + Adjective (inflected) + som + Object of comparison

  • En-words: `Bilen är lika snabb som motorcykeln.` (The car is as fast as the motorcycle.)
  • Ett-words: `Huset är lika stort som lägenheten.` (The house is as big as the apartment.)
  • Plural: `Dina skor är lika bekväma som mina.` (Your shoes are as comfortable as mine.)

This follows the standard rules of adjective agreement.

2. With Adverbs
When comparing actions, an adverb is used. An adjective used adverbially normally has its neuter form, as in lika vackert. Other adverbs retain their own form: lika ofta (as often) or lika länge (as long).
Structure: Subject + Verb + lika + Adverb + som + Object of comparison
Example: `Hon sjunger lika vackert som sin syster.` (She sings as beautifully as her sister.)

3. With Quantities
To compare amounts, you use lika mycket for an amount, or lika många for a number of countable items. Pengar is grammatically plural but takes mycket when it means an amount of money.

  • `Jag har lika mycket pengar som du.` (I have as much money as you.)
  • `De har lika många barn som vi.` (They have as many children as we.)

4. Negative Form
To express inequality ('not as...as'), one common construction is inte så...som.
Example: `Min väska är inte så tung som din.` (My bag is not as heavy as yours.)

Inte lika ... som is also standard: Min väska är inte lika tung som din. Both this and inte så ... som deny equality to the stated degree.

Meaning and Usage Contrast
Vi bor i lika hus. / Vi bor i samma hus.
Vi bor i lika hus is grammatical if you mean similar houses. To say that you share the very same building, use samma hus. In lika stort som, lika instead compares the degree of a quality.

Examples (5)

  1. Min hund är lika snäll som din katt.

    My dog is as kind as your cat.

    Word by Word: My dog is as kind as your cat.

  2. Det här provet var lika svårt som det förra.

    This test was as difficult as the last one.

    Word by Word: This here test was as difficult as the previous.

    Here, svårt is the ett-form of the adjective svår to agree with provet (an ett-word).

  3. Äpplena är lika röda som körsbären.

    The apples are as red as the cherries.

    Word by Word: The apples are as red as the cherries.

    The adjective röda is in its plural form to agree with the plural subject äpplena.

  4. Han kör lika försiktigt som sin pappa.

    He drives as carefully as his dad.

    Word by Word: He drives as carefully as his dad.

    försiktigt is an adverb here, describing how he drives. This adjective-derived adverb has the neuter -t form; other adverbs need not end in -t.

  5. Jag har lika många vänner i Stockholm som i Göteborg.

    I have as many friends in Stockholm as in Gothenburg.

    Word by Word: I have as many friends in Stockholm as in Gothenburg.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting adjective agreement.

    Ett hus kan vara lika vacker som ett slott.
    Ett hus kan vara lika vackert som ett slott.

    The adjective must agree with the subject. Since hus is an ett-word, the adjective must be in its ett-form, vackert.

How It Connects

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

lika...somLevel 4As...as

Learn This First

To use 'lika...som' (as...as), you need to understand how adjectives change form based on the noun they describe, and how the particle 'som' is used to link the two things being compared.

Words in This Pattern

lika