Superlative Adverbs
Adverbs describe how, when, where, or to what extent something happens, and adverbial superlatives show that an action stands out more than all others in degree or manner.
Formation
Adverbs in German often come from adjectives, and they remain in their base form when modifying verbs, while adjectives take endings when modifying nouns; adverbial superlatives typically use am + adjective + -sten to express "the most" in manner or degree.
Placement
Adverbs normally follow the verb they modify, and an adverbial phrase can be placed at the beginning for emphasis; the comparative and superlative forms take their usual place in the sentence when used to modify an action.
Examples
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌅 Wir sind heute Morgen am frühesten aufgestanden. | We got up earliest this morning. |
| 🏃 Er läuft am schnellsten von allen. | He runs fastest of all. |
| 🔥 Das Feuer brannte am hellsten in der Nacht. | The fire burned brightest at night. |
| 🧹 Sie hat die Straße am gründlichsten gekehrt. | She swept the street most thoroughly. |
| 🎉 Am lautesten wurde zum Festbeginn gejubelt. | The loudest cheers were at the start of the festival. |
Alternative Expressions
Sometimes adverbial comparatives and superlatives are expressed with phrases like viel schneller, deutlich am besten, or bei weitem der schnellste to add nuance or emphasis.
| German Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🌟 Am allerbesten funktioniert die Maschine früh morgens. | The machine works best of all early in the morning. | Emphatic superlative |
| 👍 Die Ernte war sehr gut, am besten jedoch im Süden. | The harvest was very good, but best in the south. | Contrastive focus |
| 🔝 Sie arbeitet ganz besonders schnell vor Feierabend. | She works especially fast before quitting time. | Intensifier with positive |
| ⚠️ Heute klappt es eher langsam, morgen aber schneller. | Today it works rather slowly, but faster tomorrow. | Comparative without superlative |
Summary
Adverbial superlatives in German usually appear as am + adjective + -sten when you want to modify manner or degree, adverbs remain uninflected when modifying verbs, and placement follows the typical order of verb then adverb.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025