inte så...som

Not As...as

Level 4

Use inte så [adjective/adverb] som to express that something is 'not as [adjective/adverb] as' something else.

How It Works

This pattern is essential for expressing that two things are not equal in a certain quality. It's a very common construction in both spoken and written Swedish.

Structure Breakdown:

  • inte: The standard negation particle. See inte.
  • så: Functions as 'as' or 'so' in this context, indicating degree.
  • Adjective or Adverb: The quality being compared.
  • som: The second part of the comparison, meaning 'as'.

Usage with Adjectives:
When an adjective is used, it must follow the rules of adjective agreement, matching the noun it describes in gender and number.

  • En-word: Boken är inte så intressant som filmen. (The book is not as interesting as the movie.)
  • Ett-word: Problemet är inte så stort som du tror. (The problem is not as big as you think.)
  • Plural: Dina skor är inte så nya som mina. (Your shoes are not as new as mine.)

Usage with Adverbs:
When an adverb is used, it modifies the verb and does not change its form.

  • Han kör inte så fort som hon. (He doesn't drive as fast as she does.)

Object of Comparison:
The part after som can be a noun, a pronoun, or even a whole clause.

  • Noun: Stockholm är inte så gammalt som Rom. (Stockholm is not as old as Rome.)
  • Pronoun: Du är inte så lång som jag. (You are not as tall as I am.)
  • Clause: Det var inte så svårt som jag hade förväntat mig. (It wasn't as difficult as I had expected.)

Keep Normal Clause Order
In a subordinate clause, inte normally precedes the finite verb: Jag vet att huset inte är så stort som du tror. A direct question can begin Är huset inte så stort som du trodde?

Inte lika ... som is another common negative equality construction. With an ordinary positive scale such as height or speed, inte så lång/snabb som normally presents the first item as reaching a lower degree, rather than merely saying the two are different.

Examples (5)

  1. Den här filmen är inte så bra som den förra.

    This movie is not as good as the last one.

    Word by Word: This here movie is not so good as the previous.

    Comparing two en-words ('film'). The adjective 'bra' is invariable, but the structure remains the same.

  2. Huset var inte så stort som vi trodde.

    The house was not as big as we thought.

    Word by Word: The house was not so big as we thought.

    Here, the adjective 'stort' agrees with the ett-word 'huset'. The comparison is made against a clause ('vi trodde').

  3. Mina nya glasögon är inte så dyra som de ser ut.

    My new glasses are not as expensive as they look.

    Word by Word: My new glasses are not so expensive as they look out.

    The adjective 'dyra' is in its plural form to agree with 'glasögon' (glasses).

  4. Hon springer inte så snabbt som sin syster.

    She doesn't run as fast as her sister.

    Word by Word: She runs not so fast as her sister.

    An example with an adverb ('snabbt') modifying the verb 'springer'. Adverbs do not change form.

  5. Det är inte så kallt idag som det var igår.

    It's not as cold today as it was yesterday.

    Word by Word: It is not so cold today as it was yesterday.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'än' (than) instead of 'som' (as).

    Vädret är inte så varmt än igår.
    Vädret är inte så varmt som igår.

    Än is used for direct comparatives like 'varmare än' (warmer than). For the 'not as...as' structure, you must use som.

  • Leaving Out The Degree Marker In The Intended Comparison

    Min bil är inte snabb som din.
    Min bil är inte så snabb som din.

    For the intended not as fast as comparison, use inte så snabb som or inte lika snabb som. Without så or lika, snabb som din can instead be read as a different comparison with like; it does not clearly express the target degree comparison.

  • Incorrect adjective agreement.

    Huset är inte så stor som jag trodde.
    Huset är inte så stort som jag trodde.

    The adjective must agree with the noun it describes. Since 'hus' is an ett-word, the adjective must be in its t-form: 'stort'.

How It Connects

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

inte så...somLevel 4Not As...as

Learn This First

To use 'inte så...som' (not as...as), you first need to understand how to negate sentences in Swedish and how to form basic equality comparisons. You also need to be comfortable with adjective agreement, as the adjective placed between 'så' and 'som' must still agree with the subject.

Words in This Pattern

inte