Prepositions are words that establish a relationship between two or more terms in a sentence. In German, as in other languages, prepositions are essential for building coherent and meaningful sentences. This chapter of our e-book course will focus on comparing prepositions in German.
Comparison prepositions are used to compare two things or situations. In German, these prepositions are "als" (like), "wie" (like), and "so...wie" (so...like).
Preposition 'als'
The preposition "als" is used to make inequality comparisons. It is equivalent to the preposition "do que" in Portuguese. For example:
- Er ist größer als ich. (He is bigger than me.)
- Sie ist jünger als ihr Bruder. (She is younger than her brother.)
Preposition 'wie'
The preposition "wie" is used for equality comparisons. It is equivalent to the preposition "como" in Portuguese. For example:
- Er ist so alt wie ich. (He's as old as I am.)
- Sie ist so intelligent wie ihr Bruder. (She is as smart as her brother.)
Preposition 'so...wie'
The combination of "so" and "wie" is used to make equality comparisons. It is equivalent to the expression "so...like" in Portuguese. For example:
- Er ist so groß wie ich. (He's as big as I am.)
- Sie ist so klug wie ihr Bruder. (She is as smart as her brother.)
It is important to note that, in German, the adjective or adverb being compared does not change form. In other words, there is no "more" or "less" before the adjective or adverb, as in English.
Also, the order of words in a comparative sentence in German may be slightly different from the order in English. In general, the structure is: subject + verb + object + "als/wie" + comparison.
German comparison prepositions are an important part of German grammar and are used frequently in everyday communication. Therefore, it is essential to master the use of these prepositions in order to communicate effectively in German.
We hope this chapter has been helpful in understanding comparison prepositions in German. Continue to practice and use these prepositions in your German conversation and writing. Remember, practice makes perfect!
