Comparatives and Superlatives in Hindi

In Brief

Hindi normally does not change an adjective to mean “-er” or “-est.” To compare two things, put the standard of comparison before से: राम श्याम से लंबा है means “Ram is taller than Shyam.” For a superlative, use सबसे before the adjective or adverb: यह सबसे अच्छा है means “This is the best.”

Overview

Hindi comparison works differently from English comparison. English often changes the adjective (tall → taller → tallest) or adds more and most. Hindi usually keeps the same adjective and shows the relationship with separate words: से for “than,” ज़्यादा/अधिक for “more,” कम for “less,” and सबसे for “most” or “-est.”

This is a core B1 pattern because it lets you do much more than compare physical qualities. You can compare prices, distances, preferences, frequency, quantities, and actions: who works more, which route is shorter, or what option is least expensive. The basic word order is regular once you learn to place the comparison phrase before the quality or action.

You still need adjective agreement—the way some Hindi adjectives change to match the gender and number of the noun they describe. For example, लंबा becomes लंबी with a feminine singular noun. Comparison does not cancel that rule: यह सड़क उस सड़क से लंबी है (“This road is longer than that road”).

How It Works

Comparing two people or things with से

The basic pattern is:

A + B + से + adjective + होना

Here, A is the person or thing being described, and B is the standard of comparison (the person or thing used as the measuring point). से is a postposition—a word that comes after a noun or pronoun—so the literal structure is roughly “A, compared with B, is adjective.”

Hindi pattern	English meaning	Note
राम श्याम से लंबा है।	Ram is taller than Shyam.	श्याम is the comparison standard.
यह कमरा उस कमरे से बड़ा है।	This room is bigger than that room.	उस कमरे is oblique before से.
यह किताब उस किताब से सस्ती है।	This book is cheaper than that book.	सस्ती agrees with feminine किताब.

There is no special comparative form of लंबा, बड़ा, or सस्ता. Context and से supply the meaning “taller,” “bigger,” or “cheaper.”

Because से is a postposition, a noun may take its oblique form (the form used before a postposition). For example, कमरा becomes कमरे in उस कमरे से. Pronouns also have forms used with से:

Basic pronoun	With से	Meaning
मैं	मुझसे	than me / from me
हम	हमसे	than us / from us
तू	तुझसे	than you (very intimate)
तुम	तुमसे	than you (informal)
आप	आपसे	than you (respectful)
यह / वह	इससे / उससे	than this person/thing; than that person/thing
ये / वे	इनसे / उनसे	than these/them; than those/them

The meaning of से is not always “than”; it can also mean “from,” “with,” or “by.” A comparative reading comes from the whole sentence. In दिल्ली मुंबई से दूर है, for example, context determines whether the intended relation is “Delhi is far from Mumbai” or part of a comparison. When ambiguity matters, add clearer wording such as के मुकाबले (“compared with”).

Making “more” explicit: ज़्यादा and अधिक

A bare adjective after a से phrase is often enough. You can add ज़्यादा to make “more” explicit:

A + B + से + ज़्यादा + adjective + होना

• यह रास्ता उस रास्ते से ज़्यादा लंबा है। — This route is longer than that route.
• आज कल से ज़्यादा गर्म है। — Today is hotter than yesterday.

ज़्यादा is common in everyday speech and writing. अधिक also means “more” but is more formal and is especially common with quantities, reports, instructions, and formal written Hindi:

• इस वर्ष पिछले वर्ष से अधिक बारिश हुई। — There was more rain this year than last year.
• दूसरे विकल्प में अधिक समय लगेगा। — The second option will take more time.

Do not assume that Hindi requires ज़्यादा whenever English uses more. With many ordinary adjectives, both versions are natural:

• मोहन सोहन से लंबा है।
• मोहन सोहन से ज़्यादा लंबा है।

Both mean “Mohan is taller than Sohan”; the second makes the degree contrast more explicit.

Comparing actions and amounts

With a verb, ज़्यादा and कम usually function adverbially—that is, they describe how much or how often an action happens:

A + B + से + ज़्यादा/कम + verb

• वह मुझसे ज़्यादा पढ़ती है। — She studies more than I do.
• मैं तुमसे कम चाय पीता हूँ। — I drink less tea than you do.
• यह गाड़ी उस गाड़ी से कम पेट्रोल खर्च करती है। — This car uses less petrol than that car.

English often adds a substitute verb such as “do” in “more than I do.” Hindi normally does not need one. The shared action is stated only once.

For countable items or a measured quantity, place ज़्यादा or कम before the noun:

• मेरे पास तुमसे ज़्यादा किताबें हैं। — I have more books than you.
• इस काम में उस काम से कम समय लगेगा। — This task will take less time than that one.

Superlatives with सबसे

The usual superlative pattern is:

सबसे + adjective/adverb

सबसे historically and structurally suggests comparison “with all,” so it identifies the highest degree within a relevant group. Hindi still does not change the adjective itself.

• यह सबसे अच्छा है। — This is the best.
• रीना कक्षा में सबसे लंबी है। — Reena is the tallest in the class.
• वह सबसे तेज़ दौड़ता है। — He runs the fastest.

The group can be stated with में, इनमें, or a similar phrase:

• इन तीनों में यह सबसे सस्ता है। — Of these three, this one is the cheapest.
• हमारे परिवार में दादी सबसे जल्दी उठती हैं। — In our family, Grandmother gets up the earliest.

For the lowest degree, use सबसे कम:

• यह सबसे कम महँगा विकल्प है। — This is the least expensive option.
• वह सबसे कम बोलता है। — He speaks the least.

Adjective agreement still applies

Comparison markers do not affect adjective agreement. A changeable adjective ending in -ा normally follows the noun it describes:

Noun described	Comparative or superlative form	Example
masculine singular	-ा	राहुल सबसे लंबा लड़का है।
masculine plural / respectful	-े	ये पेड़ उन पेड़ों से ऊँचे हैं।
feminine singular or plural	-ी	यह इमारत सबसे ऊँची है।

Many adjectives, including सुंदर, तेज़, बेहतर, and खुश, do not change for gender or number. With either type, the adjective agrees with A—the person or thing being described—not with the noun after से.

Examples in Context

Hindi	English	Note
राम श्याम से लंबा है।	Ram is taller than Shyam.	Basic adjective comparison with से.
यह सड़क उस सड़क से चौड़ी है।	This road is wider than that road.	चौड़ी agrees with सड़क.
आज कल से ज़्यादा ठंड है।	It is colder today than yesterday.	ज़्यादा makes the degree explicit.
यह फ़ोन मेरे पुराने फ़ोन से बेहतर है।	This phone is better than my old phone.	बेहतर is an invariable adjective.
रीमा अपने भाई से छोटी है।	Reema is younger than her brother.	छोटा can refer to age in context.
वह मुझसे ज़्यादा पढ़ती है।	She studies more than I do.	Comparison of actions.
मैं तुमसे कम कॉफ़ी पीता हूँ।	I drink less coffee than you do.	कम marks a lower amount.
मेरे पास उससे ज़्यादा समय है।	I have more time than he/she does.	उससे is वह + से.
यह दुकान उस दुकान से कम महँगी है।	This shop is less expensive than that shop.	कम + adjective means “less ….”
यह सबसे अच्छा है।	This is the best.	The comparison group is understood.
सीमा हमारी टीम में सबसे तेज़ दौड़ती है।	Seema runs the fastest on our team.	सबसे modifies how she runs.
इन चारों में नीली कुर्सी सबसे सस्ती है।	Of these four, the blue chair is the cheapest.	इन चारों में states the group.
मार्च में सबसे ज़्यादा बारिश हुई।	The most rain fell in March.	सबसे ज़्यादा marks the greatest quantity.
इस रास्ते में सबसे कम समय लगता है।	This route takes the least time.	सबसे कम marks the lowest quantity.
यह सवाल पहले वाले से भी मुश्किल है।	This question is even harder than the previous one.	भी adds “even.”

Common Mistakes

Copying English “-er” or “-est” onto a Hindi adjective

• Wrong: राम श्याम से लंबातर है।
• Right: राम श्याम से लंबा है।
• Why: Hindi does not normally build the comparative by adding an ending to लंबा. The phrase with से creates the comparison.

Using से and सबसे as if they were interchangeable

• Wrong: रीना कक्षा में से लंबी है। (intended: “Reena is the tallest in the class.”)
• Right: रीना कक्षा में सबसे लंबी है।
• Why: से introduces a comparison standard; सबसे marks the highest degree. In this sentence, कक्षा में identifies the group and सबसे marks “tallest.”

Forgetting the oblique form before से

• Wrong: यह कमरा उस कमरा से बड़ा है।
• Right: यह कमरा उस कमरे से बड़ा है।
• Why: A noun before a postposition normally takes the oblique form. Masculine singular कमरा becomes कमरे before से.

Letting the adjective agree with the wrong noun

• Wrong: यह सड़क उस रास्ते से लंबा है।
• Right: यह सड़क उस रास्ते से लंबी है।
• Why: लंबी describes feminine सड़क. The masculine comparison noun रास्ता does not control the adjective.

Translating “than me” word for word

• Wrong: वह मैं से ज़्यादा पढ़ती है।
• Right: वह मुझसे ज़्यादा पढ़ती है।
• Why: मैं has the combined postpositional form मुझसे. Learn common forms such as मुझसे, तुमसे, उससे, and उनसे as complete units.

Repeating सबसे unnecessarily

• Awkward: वह सबसे सबसे अच्छा खिलाड़ी है।
• Right: वह सबसे अच्छा खिलाड़ी है।
• Why: One सबसे already expresses the superlative. Use बहुत (“very”) if you want intensity, but remember that “very good” and “best” are not the same claim.

Usage Notes

ज़्यादा, अधिक, and और

ज़्यादा is the safest everyday choice for “more.” अधिक is common in formal prose and official or numerical contexts. और can mean “more” when asking for an additional amount—और पानी चाहिए? (“Do you want more water?”)—but it does not normally replace ज़्यादा in a clear two-way comparison. Say वह मुझसे ज़्यादा काम करता है, not वह मुझसे और काम करता है.

अच्छा, बेहतर, and सर्वोत्तम

Hindi can use the regular pattern ज़्यादा अच्छा and सबसे अच्छा. It also has बेहतर (“better”), a very common Persian/Urdu-derived form:

• यह योजना पहले वाली योजना से बेहतर है। — This plan is better than the earlier one.

In formal or Sanskrit-influenced writing, you may encounter श्रेष्ठ (“superior/best”) and सर्वोत्तम (“best, optimal”). These are useful words, not required grammatical replacements for सबसे अच्छा. In ordinary conversation, सबसे अच्छा is usually more neutral.

The group may be understood

यह सबसे अच्छा है is complete when everyone knows the available choices. If the group is not obvious, state it: यह सभी विकल्पों में सबसे अच्छा है (“This is the best among all the options”). A superlative is meaningful only relative to some group, even when Hindi leaves that group unspoken.

Politeness and tone

Comparisons about people can sound blunt in any language. Hindi grammar does not require a special polite comparative, but softer wording can help. मुझे लगता है कि… (“I think that…”) or थोड़ा (“a little”) can make an opinion less absolute: मुझे लगता है कि दूसरा रंग थोड़ा अच्छा है is possible, though मुझे दूसरा रंग थोड़ा ज़्यादा अच्छा लगता है more clearly means “I like the other color a little more.”

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Stronger and weaker differences

Add a degree expression before the quality:

• थोड़ा ज़्यादा — a little more
• काफ़ी ज़्यादा — considerably more
• बहुत ज़्यादा — much more
• कहीं ज़्यादा — far more
• से भी — even … than

For example, यह मॉडल पुराने मॉडल से कहीं ज़्यादा तेज़ है means “This model is far faster than the old model,” while आज कल से भी गर्म है means “Today is even hotter than yesterday.”

Alternative comparison phrases

के मुकाबले and की तुलना में both mean “compared with/in comparison with.” They are useful in longer or more formal comparisons:

• पिछले साल के मुकाबले इस साल बिक्री अधिक है। — Sales are higher this year than last year.
• कार की तुलना में ट्रेन सस्ती है। — Compared with the car, the train is cheaper.

The noun forms inside these phrases follow ordinary postposition and possession rules. की तुलना में is especially common in analytical writing; के मुकाबले is also natural in speech.

Equality: as … as

Hindi often uses paired relative-correlative words—matching expressions such as “as …, so …”—to compare equal degrees:

• रीना मीना जितनी लंबी है। — Reena is as tall as Meena.
• यह काम उतना मुश्किल नहीं है जितना मैंने सोचा था। — This task is not as difficult as I had thought.

जितना introduces the reference degree and उतना points back to the matching degree. These words agree when used adjectivally: जितना/जितनी/जितने and उतना/उतनी/उतने. In natural sentences, one half may be omitted when the meaning remains clear.

For similarity of manner or kind, Hindi also uses जैसा…वैसा (“as/like …, so/such”): जैसा तुमने कहा, वैसा ही हुआ (“It happened just as you said”). This is related to comparison, but it compares manner or likeness rather than simply a higher or lower degree.

“One of the best”

A useful advanced pattern is:

सबसे + adjective + plural noun + में से एक

• यह शहर भारत के सबसे पुराने शहरों में से एक है। — This city is one of the oldest cities in India.
• वह हमारी टीम के सबसे अच्छे खिलाड़ियों में से एक है। — He is one of the best players on our team.

Notice the plural oblique noun before में से: शहरों, खिलाड़ियों. English learners often understand the meaning quickly but need practice with these Hindi noun forms.

Lexical comparisons

Some Hindi words already carry a comparative meaning, so ज़्यादा may be unnecessary or stylistically clumsy. Common examples include बेहतर (“better”), बदतर (“worse”), वरिष्ठ (“senior”), and कनिष्ठ (“junior”). Their accompanying construction is not always identical in every register. For everyday quality comparisons, the transparent X से बेहतर pattern is dependable: यह विकल्प उससे बेहतर है.

Practice Tips

1. Build comparison pairs. Choose two familiar people, objects, or places and make five true sentences: one each with से, ज़्यादा, कम, सबसे, and सबसे कम. Check that the adjective agrees with the item being described.
2. Drill pronouns with से. Say short pairs aloud: मैं—मुझसे, तू—तुझसे, वह—उससे, वे—उनसे. Then use each in a complete comparison instead of translating “than me/him/them” word by word.
3. Describe a real set. Compare three products, routes, films, or meals. First make two-way comparisons, then summarize with a superlative. This forces you to distinguish से from सबसे in meaningful context.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Adjective Agreement — review how adjectives such as अच्छा, अच्छी, and अच्छे match the noun they describe.