Comparison in Hungarian

In Brief

Add -bb to make the comparative form: nagy “big” → nagyobb “bigger.” Add leg- to that comparative for the superlative: legnagyobb “biggest,” usually with the definite article in a phrase: a legnagyobb ház “the biggest house.” A comparison with “than” uses either mint or -nál/-nél: nagyobb, mint ez or ennél nagyobb “bigger than this.”

Overview

Comparison lets you describe differences and rank alternatives: one route is shorter, one apartment is more expensive, or one solution is the best. The Hungarian name for this system is fokozás. Its central pattern is introduced at B1, but it builds directly on ordinary adjective usage.

An adjective (a describing word such as “large” or “interesting”) has three degrees. The positive degree simply gives a quality (nagy, “big”); the comparative presents a greater degree (nagyobb, “bigger”); and the superlative identifies the highest degree in a group (a legnagyobb, “the biggest”). Unlike English, Hungarian does not normally choose between an ending and a separate word according to adjective length. Both nagy and érdekes take the same comparative suffix: nagyobb, érdekesebb.

The main work is learning which linking vowel appears before -bb, a handful of very frequent irregular forms, and the two ways to express the standard of comparison: mint and -nál/-nél. Comparative and superlative adjectives otherwise behave much like ordinary Hungarian adjectives.

How It Works

The three degrees

Degree	Formation	Example	Meaning
Positive	basic adjective	nagy	big
Comparative	adjective + -bb	nagyobb	bigger
Superlative	leg- + comparative	legnagyobb	biggest

The superlative is therefore built from the comparative, not directly from the basic adjective. Think leg- + nagyobb, not leg- + nagy.

Forming the comparative with -bb

The suffix itself is -bb, but many consonant-final adjectives need a linking vowel. This produces the common endings -abb and -ebb. Vowel harmony (the Hungarian tendency to match suffix vowels to the vowels in the stem) helps determine the choice, although individual stems still need to be learned through exposure.

Basic form	Comparative	Superlative	English
nagy	nagyobb	legnagyobb	big → bigger → biggest
magas	magasabb	legmagasabb	tall/high → taller/higher → tallest/highest
fiatal	fiatalabb	legfiatalabb	young → younger → youngest
gyors	gyorsabb	leggyorsabb	fast → faster → fastest
érdekes	érdekesebb	legérdekesebb	interesting → more interesting → most interesting
könnyű	könnyebb	legkönnyebb	easy/light → easier/lighter → easiest/lightest
drága	drágább	legdrágább	expensive → more expensive → most expensive
szép	szebb	legszebb	beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful

Some stems change slightly, as szép → szebb and könnyű → könnyebb show. Do not try to generate every form from spelling alone. Learn a new gradable adjective together with its comparative when its shape is not transparent.

Frequent irregular and special forms

A few everyday comparisons must be memorized.

Basic form	Comparative	Superlative	English
jó	jobb	legjobb	good → better → best
sok	több	legtöbb	much/many → more → most
kevés	kevesebb	legkevesebb	little/few → less/fewer → least/fewest
kicsi / kis	kisebb	legkisebb	small → smaller → smallest
rossz	rosszabb	legrosszabb	bad → worse → worst

Notice that jobb can mean “better” as an adjective, while jobban is commonly the adverb “better” with an action: Ez jobb “This is better,” but Ő jobban főz “He/She cooks better.”

Superlatives and the definite article

Hungarian makes the superlative by attaching leg- directly to the comparative:

• fontos → fontosabb → legfontosabb
• szép → szebb → legszebb
• jó → jobb → legjobb

In a normal noun phrase, the definite article a/az corresponds to English “the”: a legjobb étterem “the best restaurant,” az egyik legérdekesebb könyv “one of the most interesting books.” When the superlative stands as the main description after “is/are,” the article is also usual: Ez a legolcsóbb. “This is the cheapest.”

Saying “than”: mint

Mint introduces the second item in a comparison and works much like English “than”:

• Ez a szoba világosabb, mint a másik. — This room is brighter than the other one.
• Anna gyorsabban fut, mint Péter. — Anna runs faster than Péter.

When mint introduces a full clause (a group of words with its own verb), Hungarian can state the repeated idea explicitly: A vizsga nehezebb volt, mint gondoltam. “The exam was harder than I thought.”

Saying “than”: -nál/-nél

A second, very natural pattern adds the case ending -nál/-nél to the comparison standard. A case ending is a suffix that shows a noun’s role in the sentence. Here it marks the person or thing relative to which the comparison is made.

• Anna Péternél magasabb. — Anna is taller than Péter.
• Ez annál olcsóbb. — This is cheaper than that.
• Nálam fiatalabb. — He/She is younger than me.

Use -nál after back-vowel words and -nél after front-vowel words: a háznál, Péternél. Pronouns have fixed forms such as nálam “than me,” nálad “than you,” and nála “than him/her.” The mint construction is often easier when the second part is a full clause; -nál/-nél is compact and especially common with a noun or pronoun.

Adjectives before nouns and after “is”

A comparative before a noun stays unchanged even when the noun is plural or carries another ending:

• nagyobb házak — bigger houses
• olcsóbb jegyeket vettem — I bought cheaper tickets

A predicate adjective (an adjective that tells what the subject is, rather than standing directly before a noun) takes the plural ending when the subject is plural:

• A házak nagyobbak. — The houses are bigger.
• Ezek a jegyek olcsóbbak. — These tickets are cheaper.

The same principle applies to superlatives: a legszebb városok “the most beautiful cities,” but Ezek a városok a legszebbek. “These cities are the most beautiful.”

Equal and unequal degree

For “as … as,” Hungarian commonly uses olyan …, mint … (“such/as … as”) or ugyanolyan …, mint … (“equally/the same kind of … as”):

• A testvérem olyan magas, mint én. — My sibling is as tall as I am.
• Ez ugyanolyan fontos, mint az. — This is just as important as that.

For a lower degree, use kevésbé before the basic adjective: kevésbé drága “less expensive.” Its superlative is a legkevésbé drága “the least expensive.” In many everyday situations, Hungarian speakers may prefer a positive alternative such as olcsóbb “cheaper.”

Describing the size of a difference

Put a degree word before the comparative:

Hungarian pattern	Meaning	Example
sokkal + comparative	much/far	sokkal jobb — much better
jóval + comparative	considerably/by far	jóval olcsóbb — considerably cheaper
kicsit / egy kicsit + comparative	a little	kicsit lassabb — a little slower
valamivel + comparative	somewhat/by something	valamivel nagyobb — somewhat bigger
kétszer + comparative	twice as …	kétszer hosszabb — twice as long

English speakers often want to insert the equivalent of “more” before every comparative. Hungarian normally places the degree word directly before the -bb form: sokkal érdekesebb, not a construction modeled word for word on English “much more interesting.”

Examples in Context

Hungarian	English	Note
Ez a lakás nagyobb, mint a régi.	This apartment is bigger than the old one.	Comparative with mint
A kék kabát szebb a feketénél.	The blue coat is more beautiful than the black one.	Comparison standard with -nél
Ma melegebb van, mint tegnap.	It is warmer today than yesterday.	Weather comparison
Melyik út rövidebb?	Which route is shorter?	Choosing between alternatives
Ez a város legmagasabb épülete.	This is the tallest building in this city.	Superlative with a possessive phrase
Szerintem ez a legjobb megoldás.	In my opinion, this is the best solution.	Irregular jó → legjobb
Több időre van szükségünk.	We need more time.	Irregular sok → több
A vonat sokkal gyorsabb a busznál.	The train is much faster than the bus.	sokkal strengthens the difference
A második feladat egy kicsit nehezebb.	The second exercise is a little harder.	Small difference
A gyerekek magasabbak lettek.	The children have become taller.	Plural predicate adjective
Olcsóbb jegyeket kerestünk.	We looked for cheaper tickets.	No agreement before the noun
A húgom nálam fiatalabb.	My younger sister is younger than me.	Pronoun form nálam
Ez ugyanolyan érdekes, mint az első rész.	This is just as interesting as the first part.	Equality
Ez a lehetőség kevésbé kockázatos.	This option is less risky.	Lower degree with kevésbé
Minél többet gyakorlok, annál könnyebb.	The more I practise, the easier it becomes.	Linked proportional comparison

Common Mistakes

Building the superlative from the basic adjective

• Wrong: legnagy
• Right: legnagyobb
• Why: leg- is added to the comparative form: nagy → nagyobb → legnagyobb.

Treating long adjectives like English

• Wrong: több érdekes for “more interesting”
• Right: érdekesebb
• Why: Hungarian uses -bb with both short and long adjectives. Több érdekes könyv would instead mean “more interesting books,” where több changes the number of books, not their degree of interestingness.

Using a regular form for jó

• Wrong: jóbb or legjóbb
• Right: jobb or legjobb
• Why: jó has the irregular comparative jobb. The vowel is not retained.

Forgetting that predicate adjectives become plural

• Wrong: A nagyobb szobák világosabb.
• Right: A nagyobb szobák világosabbak.
• Why: nagyobb stands before szobák, so it does not agree. Világosabbak is the predicate description of a plural subject, so it takes -ak.

Combining mint with -nál/-nél for the same comparison

• Wrong: Péter magasabb, mint Annánál.
• Right: Péter magasabb, mint Anna.
• Also right: Péter magasabb Annánál.
• Why: Choose one construction for the comparison standard. Do not mark it twice.

Using jobban when an adjective is needed

• Wrong: Ez a terv jobban.
• Right: Ez a terv jobb.
• Why: Jobb describes a thing: “This plan is better.” Jobban modifies an action or state: Ezt jobban értem “I understand this better.”

Usage Notes

Both mint and -nál/-nél are standard and common. The suffix pattern is compact: a tegnapinál jobb “better than yesterday’s.” Mint is particularly useful when what follows is longer or has its own verb: jobb, mint amire számítottam “better than what I expected.” Word order can vary because Hungarian often places important or contrasted information near the focus position before the verb; this does not change how the comparative itself is formed.

Hungarian superlatives usually occur with a/az, but possession can account for the definiteness without a separate article immediately before leg-. Compare a legjobb barát “the best friend” with a legjobb barátom “my best friend” and Budapest egyik legszebb épülete “one of Budapest’s most beautiful buildings.” Learn these as complete noun phrases rather than applying “always add a” mechanically.

Not every adjective is naturally gradable. A gradable quality can exist in different degrees, such as size or speed. Logically absolute words may resist ordinary comparison, although speakers sometimes compare them for emphasis, approximation, or humor. As in English, context determines whether an expression such as “more complete” is meaningful.

Comparative adjectives can also be used without stating the second item. Egy nagyobb lakást keresünk can mean “We are looking for a larger apartment,” with the current apartment or a normal expectation understood from context. Egy idősebb úr often means “an older gentleman,” not necessarily that he is being directly compared with one named person.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Comparative adverbs

Comparison is not limited to adjectives. An adverb (a word describing how an action happens) can also be comparative. Many Hungarian manner adverbs have -an/-en in the basic form and -abban/-ebben in the comparative:

Basic adverb	Comparative	English
gyorsan	gyorsabban	quickly → more quickly
lassan	lassabban	slowly → more slowly
pontosan	pontosabban	precisely → more precisely
jól	jobban	well → better

The superlative adds leg-: leggyorsabban, legpontosabban, legjobban. Compare Ő a leggyorsabb futó “He/She is the fastest runner” with Ő fut a leggyorsabban “He/She runs the fastest.”

Minél …, annál …

To express two linked changes, use minél + comparative, annál + comparative:

• Minél előbb, annál jobb. — The sooner, the better.
• Minél hosszabb az út, annál fáradtabbak leszünk. — The longer the journey, the more tired we will be.
• Minél többet olvasol, annál könnyebben tanulsz. — The more you read, the more easily you learn.

This is the natural Hungarian counterpart of English “the more …, the more …”; neither minél nor annál is translated independently as the English article “the.”

Emphatic highest degree

The prefix legesleg- creates an emphatic superlative, roughly “the very …est” or “the absolute most”:

• a legeslegjobb hír — the very best news
• a legeslegfontosabb kérdés — the single most important question

It is expressive and more common in conversational, promotional, or playful language than in restrained formal prose. The ordinary leg- superlative is the neutral choice.

“One of the most …”

Hungarian commonly uses az egyik leg-… followed by a singular noun:

• Ez az egyik legjobb étterem a városban. — This is one of the best restaurants in the city.
• Ő az egyik legfontosabb magyar író. — He/She is one of the most important Hungarian writers.

The singular after egyik may feel surprising to an English speaker, because English uses plural “restaurants” or “writers.” In Hungarian, egyik selects one member, so the noun remains singular.

Practice Tips

1. Learn forms in threes. For each useful adjective, record the basic, comparative, and superlative forms together: olcsó – olcsóbb – legolcsóbb. Give irregular sets such as jó – jobb – legjobb extra review.
2. Make two versions of each comparison. Rewrite A vonat gyorsabb, mint a busz as A vonat gyorsabb a busznál. This builds confidence with both mint and -nál/-nél.
3. Compare real choices. Describe two phones, routes, meals, or places using sokkal, kicsit, equality, and a superlative. Personal examples make the forms easier to retrieve than isolated word lists.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Adjective Usage — review how Hungarian adjectives behave before nouns and as predicate descriptions.