Superlative Forms in German

Overview

The superlative expresses the highest degree of a quality: "the biggest," "the fastest," "the best." In German, superlatives come in two forms depending on how they are used in the sentence. When used as a predicate (after sein), the pattern is am ...-sten: "Das ist am besten" (That is the best). When used as an attributive adjective (before a noun), it takes der/die/das ...-ste plus the usual adjective endings: "Das schnellste Auto" (The fastest car).

At the A2 level, superlatives build directly on the comparative forms you already know. If you can form the comparative (schneller, größer, besser), you can form the superlative by applying the -sten/-ste pattern. The same irregulars and umlauts apply.

Superlatives are very common in everyday conversation — talking about favorites, extremes, and rankings is something people do all the time. "Was ist das beste Restaurant?" "Wer ist am schnellsten?" "Das ist der längste Film, den ich je gesehen habe."

How It Works

Two Superlative Forms

Usage	Pattern	Example
Predicate (after sein)	am + stem + -sten	Das ist am besten.
Before a noun	der/die/das + stem + -ste + ending	Das beste Buch.

Regular Superlative Formation

Base	Comparative	Superlative (am)	Superlative (attr.)
klein	kleiner	am kleinsten	der/die/das kleinste
schnell	schneller	am schnellsten	der/die/das schnellste
schön	schöner	am schönsten	der/die/das schönste
billig	billiger	am billigsten	der/die/das billigste

Superlatives with Umlaut

Base	Comparative	Superlative (am)
alt	älter	am ältesten
groß	größer	am größten
jung	jünger	am jüngsten
lang	länger	am längsten
kurz	kürzer	am kürzesten
kalt	kälter	am kältesten

Irregular Superlatives

Base	Comparative	Superlative (am)
gut	besser	am besten
viel	mehr	am meisten
gern	lieber	am liebsten
hoch	höher	am höchsten
nah	näher	am nächsten

Spelling note

Adjectives whose stem ends in -d, -t, -s, -ß, -z add -esten for easier pronunciation:

• alt → am ältesten
• kurz → am kürzesten
• heiß → am heißesten

Examples in Context

German	English	Note
Das ist am besten.	That is the best.	Predicate superlative (irregular)
Er ist der größte.	He is the tallest.	Attributive, masculine nominative
Das schnellste Auto.	The fastest car.	Attributive, neuter nominative
Sie singt am schönsten.	She sings the most beautifully.	Adverb superlative
Das ist der längste Film.	That is the longest film.	Attributive with umlaut
Welches ist am billigsten?	Which one is the cheapest?	Question with superlative
Er arbeitet am meisten.	He works the most.	Irregular: viel → am meisten
Ich trinke am liebsten Kaffee.	I like drinking coffee the most.	Irregular: gern → am liebsten
Das ist die beste Idee.	That is the best idea.	Attributive, feminine nominative
Im kältesten Winter.	In the coldest winter.	Dative with umlaut

Common Mistakes

Mixing up the two superlative forms

• Wrong: Das ist das am besten.
• Right: Das ist am besten. or Das ist das beste.
• Why: Use "am + -sten" as a predicate (after sein without a noun). Use "der/die/das + -ste" when a noun follows or is implied.

Forgetting -esten after -d, -t, -s, -ß, -z

• Wrong: am ältsten
• Right: am ältesten
• Why: Stems ending in these consonants need the extra -e- for pronunciation.

Using the comparative form as a superlative

• Wrong: Das ist besser. (intending "the best")
• Right: Das ist am besten.
• Why: "Besser" means "better" (comparing two things). "Am besten" means "the best" (the highest of all).

Usage Notes

The "am liebsten" construction is extremely useful for expressing preferences: "Ich esse am liebsten Pizza" (My favorite food is pizza / I like eating pizza the most). It is one of the most natural ways to talk about what you enjoy most.

When the attributive superlative stands alone (without a following noun), the article indicates the noun: "Welches Auto ist das schnellste?" (Which car is the fastest?) — "das" refers back to "Auto."

In casual speech, Germans often use "aller-" as an intensifier before superlatives: "Das ist das allerbeste" (That is the very best). While informal, this is very common and adds emphasis.

Practice Tips

1. List your favorites using "am liebsten" and "am besten": "Ich höre am liebsten Jazz. Am besten gefällt mir der Sommer. Am meisten freue ich mich auf den Urlaub."
2. Practice both superlative forms with the same adjective: "Das Auto ist am schnellsten" (predicate) vs. "Das ist das schnellste Auto" (attributive). Switch back and forth to build flexibility.
3. Combine comparatives and superlatives in short paragraphs: "Mein Bruder ist groß. Mein Vater ist größer. Aber mein Onkel ist am größten."

Related Concepts

• Comparative Forms — the comparative degree that superlatives build upon