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THE ADJECTIVE.
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verb, which, if used as adjectives, may be inflected in the same manner.


Comparison of Adjectives.

Adjectives have three degrees of comparison:—1, the positive; 2, the comparative; and 3, the superlative degree.

The comparative is formed by adding -bb to adjectives ending with a vowel, or -abb -ebb to those ending with a consonant. After sibilants, which would admit the sound b to be heard without an intermediate vowel, often a -b is only added to form the comparative, but it is preferable to use a vowel, unless it is not desirable to lengthen the word with a syllable, as, for instance, in poetry. It is therefore equally grammatical to write magasb (higher), or magasabb.

Note.—Final a and e become lengthened at the end of a word, if the comparative suffix -bb is joined to it—e.g., drága, drágább; fekete, feketébb, &c.; ó shortens its sound only in ; jobb, legjobb.

The superlative is invariably formed by prefixing leg- or legesleg- to the comparative. The first is rendered in English with the superlative; the second by putting the adverb "very" before it.

The following are somewhat irregular:—

szép, beautiful; comparative : szebb
könnyű, easy, light (in weight); : könnyebb
ifju, youthful, young; : ifjabb
hosszú, long; : hosszabb
sok, much; : több

But the superlative is formed regularly.