Superlatives recognition
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
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Marcus reads.
Julia sees the tablet.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
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:
- Mons altissimus est. = The mountain is the highest.
- Cicero clarissimus orator erat. = Cicero was a most famous speaker.
- Miles fortissimus laudatur. = The bravest soldier is praised.
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.
Marcus reads.
Example for Superlatives recognition.
Julia sees the tablet.
A short A1 sentence with visible endings.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises