A superlative adjective marks the top of the scale: "tallest", "highest", "bravest", or with emphasis "very high", "most brave".
Can recognize Superlatives recognition in a short Latin prompt
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Cicerō was the most famous orator.
It is very easy to criticize what belongs to others.
Zaměřte se na zvýrazněné části. Co mají společného?
A superlative adjective marks the top of the scale: "tallest", "highest", "bravest", or with emphasis "very high", "most brave". Latin signals it with the ending -issimus (feminine -issima, neuter -issimum) added to the adjective stem. Once you know this ending, the most emphatic words in a passage light up.
| Plain | Superlative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| altus (high) | altissimus | highest, very high |
| longus (long) | longissimus | longest |
| clarus (famous) | clarissimus | most famous |
| fortis (brave) | fortissimus | bravest |
Examples:
A couple of adjectives whose stem ends in -r double the r instead: pulcher (beautiful) gives pulcherrimus (most beautiful), and facilis (easy) gives facillimus (easiest). These are worth memorizing as they come up.
For English speakers: the trap is choosing between "the ...est" and "very ...". English forces you to pick, and Latin leaves it open: altissimus can be "the highest" (a real comparison of several) or simply "very high" (strong praise with nothing compared). Let the context decide. Do not look for a separate "most" or "very": the whole meaning sits in the -issimus ending.
Použijte tuto gramatiku ve cvičeních kurzu A1
Procvičovací cvičeníCicerō was the most famous orator.
Clarissimus is the superlative in -issimus. It can also mean simply 'very famous', with no comparison implied.
It is very easy to criticize what belongs to others.
Adjectives in -ilis form the superlative in -limus, not -issimus. There is only a short list of them.
Procvičit v kurzu
Použijte tuto gramatiku ve cvičeních kurzu A1