A2 · Comparative and superlative
gern, lieber, am liebsten
gern, lieber, am liebsten: like, prefer, like best
FormVerb (Position 2) + gern / lieber / am liebsten + Rest
Meaning and usage
German says that you like doing something with the adverb gern after the verb: Ich trinke gern Tee. To compare two things, use the comparative lieber: Ich trinke lieber Kaffee. To say what you like most of all, use am liebsten: Ich trinke am liebsten Wasser. These three forms belong together, like the comparative and superlative of other adverbs, but they are irregular and must be learned as a set.
The usual word order in a main clause is verb first, then gern, lieber or am liebsten: Ich spiele gern Tennis, not Ich gern spiele Tennis. Do not confuse lieber with the adjective lieb: lieber Freund means dear friend. lieber also appears in polite preferences: Ich würde lieber zu Hause bleiben, Ich hätte lieber einen Kaffee.
Examples 6
Möchten Sie lieber eine Tasse Kaffee oder Tee?
Would you rather have a cup of coffee or a cup of tea?
Würdest du lieber in Boston oder Chicago leben?
Where would you rather live, Boston or Chicago?
Was unternehmen Sie am liebsten mit Ihren Freunden?
What's your favorite thing to do with your friends?
Was machst du am liebsten in deiner Freizeit?
What's your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Welchen Geschmack hast du beim Eis am liebsten?
What flavor of ice cream do you like best?
Arbeitest du lieber allein oder mit anderen zusammen?
Do you prefer to work alone or on a team?
Test yourself
-
1 Sprachbausteine
Ich trinke Kaffee als Tee.
Show answer
Correct answer: lieber
The word als introduces the second item of a comparison, so you need the comparative lieber.
- lieb is an adjective meaning dear, as in lieber Freund, and cannot follow the verb here.
- gern states that you like something, but it cannot stand before als in a comparison between two drinks.
- am liebsten is the superlative and does not combine with als, which compares exactly two items.
In this topic: Comparative and superlative
- schneller, kleiner, interessanter Add -er to an adjective to compare two things
- alt → älter, groß → größer many short adjectives add an umlaut in the comparative
- größer als use als after a comparative to say than
- so groß wie, nicht so groß wie as ... as, not as ... as
- am schnellsten the superlative after a verb: am + adjective + -sten
- der schnellste Zug superlative before a noun takes adjective endings
- gut, besser, am besten gut has its own comparative and superlative forms
- viel, mehr, am meisten much, more, most: the irregular forms of viel
- gern, lieber, am liebsten gern, lieber, am liebsten: like, prefer, like best
- hoch, höher; nah, näher, am nächsten irregular forms of hoch and nah
- ein größeres Haus comparative adjective before a noun keeps its ending
Example sentences from Tatoeba, used under CC BY 2.0 FR. See sources.