Lesson 83
Comparative/Superlative Tafḍīl (Comprehensive)
التفضيل شامل
All usage scenarios of the afʿal al-tafḍīl: with min (comparative), with the definite article (superlative), in iḍāfa (superlative), and the special afḍal fiʿl (most excellent of an action).
All Tafḍīl Constructions
ConstructionGender/numberUseExample
+ مِنْInvariable (masc. sing.)Comparative: X is more X than Yهُوَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْهُ
With الـAgrees in definitenessSuperlative adjectiveهُوَ الأَكْبَرُ هِيَ الْكُبْرَى
In iḍāfaFirst element invariable"The most X of the group"هُوَ أَكْبَرُ الطُّلَّابِ
Non-human pluralInvariable (masc. sing.)Applied to non-human groupsهَذِهِ الْكُتُبُ أَكْبَرُ
Defective Comparative Forms
ComparativeRootMeaningFeminine / Superlative
خَيْرخ-ي-رBetter / best (from جَيِّد)الْخُسْنَى (fem.)
شَرّش-ر-رWorse / worst (from سَيِّئ)الشَّرّ / الشُّرَّى (arch.)
أَكْبَرك-ب-رBigger / biggestالْكُبْرَى (fem.)
أَصْغَرص-غ-رSmaller / smallestالصُّغْرَى (fem.)
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى
Wa-llāhu aʿlamu bimā yaṣifūna Wa-llāhu khayrun wa-abqā
"And Allah knows best what they describe." "And Allah is better and more lasting." (87:17) أَعْلَم and أَبْقَى are تَفْضِيل forms of عَلِمَ and بَقِيَ.
وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَى
Wa-la-l-ākhiratu khayrun laka mina l-ūlā
"And the Hereafter is better for you than the first (life)." (93:4) خَيْرٌ + مِنْ is the classical comparative construction.
- أَفْعَل in comparative construction: always singular, invariable for gender/number خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ (better than him) for any gender.
- With definite article (superlative adjective): feminine form changes الأَكْبَر (masc.) vs الْكُبْرَى (fem.).
- خَيْر and شَرّ are "defective" comparative forms they come directly from the root without the أَفْعَل prefix.
- In iḍāfa (أَكْبَرُ الطُّلَّاب): the first element stays invariable and indefinite; the second is genitive plural.
- أَفْضَل الْقَوْلِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّه "the best of speech is lā ilāha illā llāh" (ḥadīth) iḍāfa superlative.