How is तुलना formed?

से ज़्यादा and से कम make the comparison explicit: यह उससे ज़्यादा महँगा है। For equality, the correlative pair: वह उतना ही अच्छा है जितना तुम - he is as good as you.

What are common mistakes with तुलना?

Looking for a comparative form of the adjective, or putting se on the subject instead of on the standard. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian has real comparative forms (luchshe, bolshe), so learners invent a Hindi one; the genitive comparison luchshe kofe is the model that actually helps.

तुलना: rules, examples & exercises | Hindi Grammar A2

तुलना

A2 — विशेषण

से, से ज़्यादा, सबसे — तुलना के तीन ढाँचे

I can compare two things and name the best of a group

से, से ज़्यादा, सबसे — तुलना के तीन ढाँचे

Examples

— Tea is better than coffee.
— This is the oldest temple.
— It's hotter today than yesterday.

विशेषणA2

Comparison and the Superlative

Comparing with se, and the superlative with sabse

Learning Goal

I can compare two things and name the best of a group

Exam Skills:बोलनालिखना

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Tea is better than coffee.

This is the oldest temple.

It's hotter today than yesterday.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

No comparative form

The adjective never changes. से after the thing compared to does all the work:

यह किताब उस किताब से अच्छी है। - This book is better than that one.
दिल्ली मुंबई से बड़ी है। - Delhi is bigger than Mumbai.

से ज़्यादा and से कम make the comparison explicit: यह उससे ज़्यादा महँगा है।

सबसे for the superlative

सबसे अच्छी चाय - the best tea (literally: better than all)
वह सबसे लंबा है। - He is the tallest.

जितना ... उतना

For equality, the correlative pair: वह उतना ही अच्छा है जितना तुम - he is as good as you.

Apply this grammar in A2 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Looking for a comparative form of the adjective, or putting se on the subject instead of on the standard.

Common Error Patterns

Inventing a comparative form of the adjective

The adjective never changes; se carries the comparison.

se attached to the subject rather than the standard

chay coffee se achchhi hai, not chay se coffee achchhi hai.

Tea is better than coffee.

se marks what you compare to, exactly as the Russian genitive does.

This is the oldest temple.

sabse is literally 'than all', like the Russian luchshe vsekh.

It's hotter today than yesterday.

se zyada spells the comparison out.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A2 course exercises

A2 Course

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Frequently asked questions

When is तुलना used?: The adjective never changes. से after the thing compared to does all the work:
How is तुलना formed?: से ज़्यादा and से कम make the comparison explicit: यह उससे ज़्यादा महँगा है। For equality, the correlative pair: वह उतना ही अच्छा है जितना तुम - he is as good as you.
What are common mistakes with तुलना?: Looking for a comparative form of the adjective, or putting se on the subject instead of on the standard. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Russian has real comparative forms (luchshe, bolshe), so learners invent a Hindi one; the genitive comparison luchshe kofe is the model that actually helps.

Sources

हिन्दी व्याकरण — काशी नागरी प्रचारिणी सभा, 1920
Kamta Prasad Guru's grammar, the standard prescriptive reference for Hindi morphology and syntax.
Outline of Hindi Grammar — Oxford University Press, 1995
R. S. McGregor's outline, the standard concise academic description of Hindi morphology.