Comparing
More, less, the most, and as … as.
"More" is יוֹתֵר yoter, before or after the adjective, and "than" is the prefix מִ or מֵ, "from" (One-letter words). Hebrew has no special forms like "better" or "biggest": "better" is טוֹב יוֹתֵר tov yoter.
- dani gavo'ah yoter midanaDani is taller than Dana.
- habayit haze yoter gadolThis house is bigger.
- tel aviv yekara yoter mekheifaTel Aviv is more expensive than Haifa.
"Less" is פָּחוֹת pakhot, used the same way, and "much more" is הַרְבֵּה יוֹתֵר harbe yoter.
Than me
Before a pronoun, "than" is מִן with an ending (Prepositions with endings): מִמֶּנִּי mimeni "than me", מִמְּךָ mimkha and מִמֵּךְ mimekh "than you", מִמֶּנּוּ mimenu "than him", מִמֶּנָּה mimena "than her", מֵהֶם mehem "than them".
- hi tse'ira mimeniShe's younger than me.
The most
הֲכִי hakhi before an adjective is "the most": הֲכִי טוֹב "the best". With a noun, the noun takes ה and the adjective doesn't. Formal Hebrew puts בְּיוֹתֵר beyoter after an adjective with ה instead.
- ze haseret hakhi tov shera'itiIt's the best film I've seen.
- ma ha'ir hagdola beyoter beyisra'el?What's the biggest city in Israel?formal
As … as, and the same
כְּמוֹ kmo "like, as" says two are alike: גָּבוֹהַּ כְּמוֹ "as tall as". "The same" is אוֹתוֹ oto, אוֹתָהּ ota or אוֹתָם otam before the noun, agreeing with it, and "different from" is שׁוֹנֶה מִ shone mi-.
- hu gavo'ah kmo aba sheloHe's as tall as his father.
- anakhnu garim be'oto rekhovWe live on the same street.
- ze oto davarIt's the same thing.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Nouns and describing words cards.
How do you say 'more' when comparing, as in 'bigger'?
יוֹתֵר (yoter), before or after the adjective: יוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל.
How do you say 'than' in 'taller than Dana'?
The prefix מִ, 'from': מִדָּנָה (midana).
How do you say 'than me'?
מִמֶּנִּי (mimeni).
How do you say 'less'?
פָּחוֹת (pakhot).
How do you say 'the best'?
הֲכִי טוֹב (hakhi tov).
How does formal Hebrew say 'the biggest city'?
הָעִיר הַגְּדוֹלָה בְּיוֹתֵר (ha'ir hagdola beyoter).
How do you say 'as tall as his father'?
גָּבוֹהַּ כְּמוֹ אַבָּא שֶׁלּוֹ (gavo'ah kmo aba shelo).
How do you say 'the same street', given that רְחוֹב (rekhov) is masculine?
אוֹתוֹ רְחוֹב (oto rekhov).