Superlatives: Biggest, Best…

What you’ll learn

Identify a person or thing at one extreme within a group.

សម្គាល់មនុស្ស ឬវត្ថុដែលមានលក្ខណៈខ្ពស់បំផុត ឬទាបបំផុតក្នុងក្រុមមួយ។

Meaning and use

A superlative compares one member with the rest of a group: the tallest student in the class. Many short adjectives add -est; longer adjectives often use most. Good becomes best and bad becomes worst. A superlative before a noun commonly uses the, but a possessive word can take that place: my best friend. State or understand the comparison group. Compare bigger than that bag with the biggest bag in the shop.

Superlative ប្រើដើម្បីប្រៀបធៀបសមាជិកម្នាក់ ឬវត្ថុមួយជាមួយសមាជិកផ្សេងៗក្នុងក្រុម។ គុណនាមខ្លីជាច្រើនបន្ថែម -est ហើយគុណនាមវែងជាច្រើនប្រើ most។ ជាទូទៅប្រើ the មុខនាម ប៉ុន្តែអាចប្រើពាក្យកម្មសិទ្ធិដូចជា my ជំនួសបាន។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Many short adjectives	small → the smallest; tall → the tallest
Common spelling changes	big → the biggest; happy → the happiest
Many longer adjectives	the most interesting book
Irregular forms	good → best; bad → worst
A possessive can replace the	my best friend

Examples

1. This is the biggest bag in the shop.

   នេះជាកាបូបធំបំផុតនៅក្នុងហាង។

2. She is the tallest student in our class.

   នាងជាសិស្សខ្ពស់បំផុតក្នុងថ្នាក់របស់យើង។

3. That was the most interesting part of the lesson.

   នោះជាផ្នែកគួរឱ្យចាប់អារម្មណ៍បំផុតនៃមេរៀន។

4. Dara is my best friend.

   ដារ៉ាជាមិត្តល្អបំផុតរបស់ខ្ញុំ។

Everyday conversation

Maly: Which bag is the cheapest in this shop?

Dara: The small green one.

Maly: And which is the biggest?

Dara: The blue one.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
This is the most biggest bag.	This is the biggest bag.	Use one superlative form, not most plus biggest.
She is my the best friend.	She is my best friend.	Do not put the after the possessive my in this pattern.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Write the superlative with the: big.
2. Complete: This is the ___ interesting book in the library.
3. Complete: Dara is my ___ friend. (good)
4. Complete: She is ___ tallest student in our class.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. the biggest

   Double g and add -est.

2. most

   Use most with interesting.

3. best

   Good changes to best in this superlative meaning.

4. the

   The is the usual determiner before this superlative noun phrase.

Quick recap

• Use a superlative to compare one member with the whole group.
• Learn -est, most, and irregular forms such as best.
• Use the or an appropriate possessive word, not both together.