Predicative comparative constructions (Hungarian)

Loc: The standard is grammatically or morphologically marked to express a locative (‘in’ or ‘on’) meaning.

PartComp: The comparative function is marked using a particle comparative.

+CompMkAff: The comparative function is marked using a special affix (prefix, suffix, or circumfix).


(1) kati ügyes-ebb zsuzsi-nál.

Kate skillful-comp Sue-ade

’Kate is more skillful than Sue.’


(2) kati ügyes-ebb, mint zsuzsi.

Kate skillful-comp than Sue

’Kate is more skillful than Sue.’


In contemporary Hungarian, there are two prominent predicative comparative constructions: either the comparative standard takes a spatial (typically adessive) ending (1) or a conjunction expresses the comparison (2). In certain dialects, the comparative standard can be in the ablative case: Kati ügyesebb tőlem ‘Kate is more skillful than me’. The adjective takes the comparative suffix -bb in both construction types (cf. Lengyel 2000a: 142‒151, Kenesei et al. 1998: 151‒155).

Author: 

Nikolett F. Gulyás