اسم التفضيل
Comparative/superlative using the أفعل pattern: أكبر (bigger), أصغر (smaller), أحسن (better)
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
هذا البيت أكبر من ذلك.
This house is bigger than that one.
القاهرة أجمل مدينة.
Cairo is the most beautiful city.
الشاي أحسن من القهوة.
Tea is better than coffee.
هي أصغر من أخيها.
She is younger than her brother.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
اسم التفضيل — Comparative & Superlative
Arabic comparatives follow the أفعل (af'al) pattern:
| Adjective | Comparative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| كبير (big) | أكبر | bigger/biggest |
| صغير (small) | أصغر | smaller/smallest |
| حسن (good) | أحسن | better/best |
| جميل (beautiful) | أجمل | more beautiful |
Comparative: X أكبر من Y (X is bigger than Y). Superlative: أكبر + definite noun (أكبر مدينة = the biggest city). The أفعل form is invariable — no gender/number agreement.
هذا البيت أكبر من ذلك.
This house is bigger than that one.
أكبر (bigger) from كبير (big) using the أفعل pattern. من = than. No gender change even though بيت is masculine.
القاهرة أجمل مدينة.
Cairo is the most beautiful city.
أجمل مدينة = the most beautiful city (superlative). أفعل + indefinite noun = superlative meaning.
الشاي أحسن من القهوة.
Tea is better than coffee.
أحسن (better) from حسن (good). Irregular comparatives exist but most follow the أفعل pattern regularly.
هي أصغر من أخيها.
She is younger than her brother.
أصغر (younger/smaller) — same أفعل form for 'she' as for 'he.' No feminine form *صغرى is used in comparatives.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is اسم التفضيل used?
- Comparative: X أكبر من Y (X is bigger than Y). Superlative: أكبر + definite noun (أكبر مدينة = the biggest city). The أفعل form is invariable — no gender/number agreement.
- What are common mistakes with اسم التفضيل?
- Learners add gender endings to the comparative (*أكبرة for feminine). The أفعل pattern is invariable — always أكبر regardless of gender or number. English speakers: Like English '-er/more,' Arabic has one pattern (أفعل) for all comparatives. No 'more' vs '-er' distinction needed. Russian speakers: Russian comparatives (больше, красивее) change form. Arabic أفعل is always the same — no agreement with the noun. Czech speakers: Czech has comparative endings (-ší, -ější). Arabic uses one fixed pattern أفعل — no declension, no gender agreement.