Lesson 58
Comparative and Superlative Tafḍīl
التفضيل
The comparative and superlative in Arabic use the أَفْعَل pattern (afʿal). "More generous" is أَكْرَم; "the most generous" is الأَكْرَم. The form is versatile and appears throughout classical and modern Arabic.
Afʿal Pattern for Comparison
AdjectiveComparative (أَفْعَل)Meaning
كَبِيرأَكْبَرbigger / the biggest
كَرِيمأَكْرَمmore generous / the most generous
عَظِيمأَعْظَمgreater / the greatest
قَرِيبأَقْرَبcloser / the closest
بَعِيدأَبْعَدfurther / the furthest
حَسَنأَحْسَنbetter / the best
كَثِيرأَكْثَرmore / the most
Comparative vs Superlative
MeaningStructureExample
Comparative (more than)أَفْعَل + مِنْهُوَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْهُ
Superlative (the most)الأَفْعَل (definite)هُوَ الأَكْبَر
Superlative (of a group)أَفْعَل + iḍāfaأَعْظَمُ الطُّلَّابِ
اللَّهُ أَكْبَر هَذَا الطَّالِبُ أَذْكَى مِنْ غَيْرِه
Allāhu akbar Hādhā ṭ-ṭālibu adhkā min ghayrihi
Allah is the Greatest. This student is smarter than others.
وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَر وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ
Wa-ladhikru llāhi akbar Wa-huwa ahwanu ʿalayh
"And the remembrance of Allah is greater." (29:45) "And it is easier for Him." (30:27)
- أَفْعَل is a diptote no tanwīn and uses fatḥa in genitive: رَأَيْتُ رَجُلاً أَكْبَرَ مِنِّي.
- Comparative: أَفْعَل مِنْ + noun/pronoun.
- Superlative: الأَفْعَل (definite) or أَفْعَل + iḍāfa (أَعْظَمُ الطُّلَّابِ = the greatest of the students).
- Colours and defects use the same أَفْعَل pattern أَحْمَر (red), أَعْمَى (blind) and are diptotes too.
- Irregular comparatives: خَيْر (better/the best, from جَيِّد) and شَرّ (worse/the worst, from سَيِّئ) used instead of أَفْعَل forms.