The comparative ending is -mpi, which is added to the inflectional stem (see
Chapter 5), e.g. hullu ‘mad’: hullu/mpi ‘madder’. The following sound
change occurs before the comparative ending:
Cf. vahva ‘strong’ : vahve/mpi ‘stronger’; selvä ‘clear’ : selve/mpi ‘clearer’.
The rules of consonant gradation also apply before the comparative ending
(§15.6), cf. helppo ‘easy’ : helpo/mpi ‘easier’.
Basic form Comparative Inflectional
stem §
paksu thick paksu/mpi thicker –
iso big iso/mpi –
kiltti good-natured kilti/mpi –
vanha old vanhe/mpi –
selvä clear selve/mpi –
kova hard kove/mpi –
paha bad pahe/mpi –
jyrkkä steep jyrke/mpi –
tarkka exact tarke/mpi –
nopea fast nopea/mpi –
vakava serious vakava/mpi –
suuri great suure/mpi 18.3 (suure-)
pieni small piene/mpi 18.3 (piene-)
uusi new uude/mpi 18.4 (uute-)
terve healthy tervee/mpi 19 (tervee-)
tuore fresh tuoree/mpi 19 (tuoree-)
tavallinen usual tavallise/mpi 20.1 (tavallise-)
The short -a ~ -ä of disyllabic adjectives changes to -e before the
comparative ending.
212 Finnish: An Essential Grammar
Basic form Comparative Inflectional
stem §
punainen red punaise/mpi 20.1 (punaise-)
kaunis beautiful kaunii/mpi 20.3 (kaunii-)
puhdas clean puhtaa/mpi 20.3 (puhtaa-)
raitis sober raittii/mpi 20.3 (raittii-)
voimakas powerful voimakkaa/mpi 20.3 (voimakkaa-)
lyhyt short lyhye/mpi 20.8 (lyhye-)
kevyt light kevye/mpi 20.8 (kevye-)
The declension of the comparative forms has one special feature. In the
inflectional stem the final part -mpi changes to -mpa- ~ -mpä-, and the
consonant gradation rules then change this to -mma- ~ -mmä-. Before the
plural -i- the final -a ~ -ä of these endings is dropped (cf. §16).
Comparative basic form Singular Plural
paksu/mpi thicker Illat. paksu/mpa/an paksu/mp/i/in
Ess. paksu/mpa/na paksu/mp/i/na
Part. paksu/mpa/a paksu/mp/i/a
Gen. paksu/mma/n paksu/mp/i/en
Iness. paksu/mma/ssa paksu/mm/i/ssa
Elat. paksu/mma/sta paksu/mm/i/sta
Adess. paksu/mma/lla paksu/mm/i/lla
Ablat. paksu/mma/lta paksu/mm/i/lta
Allat. paksu/mma/lle paksu/mm/i/lle
Transl. paksu/mma/ksi paksu/mm/i/ksi
Similarly, the comparative basic form selve/mpi ‘clearer’ declines as follows:
selve/mpä/än (illative), selve/mmä/n (genitive), selve/mm/i/ssä (inessive
plural), etc.
The comparative forms of the adjectives hyvä ‘good’ and pitkä ‘long’
are exceptional: hyvä : pare/mpi ‘better’, and pitkä : pite/mpi ‘longer’.
Pare/mpi inflects e.g. pare/mpa/an (illative), pare/mma/ssa (inessive) and
pare/mm/i/lla (adessive plural).
In context the comparative forms often co-occur with the word kuin
‘than’; otherwise they behave like ordinary adjectives.
Minun autoni on iso/mpi kuin sinun.
My car is bigger than yours.
Ostan iso/mma/n auton.
I’ll buy a bigger car.
Ei iso/mma/lla autolla mitään tee!
One can’t do anything with a bigger car!
Comparison of adjectives 213
Sinä olet nuore/mpi kuin minä.
You are younger than me.
Mutta minä taas olen vanhe/mpi kuin Lauri.
But on the other hand I am older than Lauri.
Suomessa on monta suure/mpa/a kaupunkia kuin Salo.
In Finland there are many bigger towns than Salo.
Uskomme pare/mpa/an tulevaisuuteen.
We believe in a better future.
Näytät tervee/mmä/ltä kuin eilen.
You look healthier than yesterday.
Olenkin tervee/mpi!
I am healthier!
Pitäisi elää tervee/mpä/ä elämää.
One ought to lead a healthier life.
Pekka hankki pare/mma/n asunnon.
Pekka got a better flat.
Etkö pysty hankkimaan pare/mpa/a asuntoa?
Can’t you get a better flat?
Kaupunki rakentaa pare/mp/i/a asuntoja.
The town is building better flats.
Appelsiinit ovat kallii/mp/i/a kuin omenat.
Oranges are more expensive than apples.
Keltaise/mma/t appelsiinit ovat kypse/mp/i/ä.
The yellower oranges are riper.
Ostan nuo keltaise/mma/t appelsiinit.
I’ll buy those yellower oranges.
En osta noita vihreä/mp/i/ä appelsiineja.
I shan’t buy those greener oranges.
Tämä on lue/tu/mpi kirja.
This book is more (widely) read.
The structure kuin+nominative can sometimes be replaced by a word in the
partitive alone, placed before the comparative form. This structure is used
mainly in the written language.
Olet vanhe/mpi kuin minä. = Olet minu/a vanhe/mpi.
You are older than me.
214 Finnish: An Essential Grammar
Tämä auto on kallii/mpi kuin tuo. = Tämä auto on tuo/ta kallii/mpi.
This car is more expensive than that one.
