The comparative and superlative forms for adjectives have a few grammar rules we need to pay attention to. Most of those rules come from the number of syllables the adjective has. This article will explore the two forms of “little” and how to use them.
What Is The Comparative Form Of “Little”?
“Littler” and “more little” are both correct comparative forms for the adjective “little.” We can use both to compare one thing as more “little” than another. Since “little” is a two-syllable adjective, we can choose whether we prefer “more” or the “-er” suffix in the word.
Comparative rules can be pretty confusing with two-syllable adjectives. That’s because they vary based on the word we use.
Generally, most two-syllable adjectives allow us to choose our favorite form, and we can stick with that form in our writing. For example:
- I am the littler of the two.
- She is more little than I am.
Both of the sentences above are correct. One uses the standard “-er” ending for the comparative form, while the other uses “more” to compare something before the adjective.
The beauty of two-syllable words is the choice we get with them. However, this choice also leads to confusion. It’s best to try and remember that if a word has two syllables (lit-tle), then we can play around with the comparative form.
What Is The Superlative Form Of “Little”?
“Littlest” is the correct superlative form of “little.” Unlike the comparative form, the superlative form is strict. We usually include the “-est” ending with the superlative form for two-syllable adjectives. “Most little” is correct, but it’s not nearly as common to see.
The superlative form works to show that someone or something is the most “little” thing in a group. There has to be more than one other thing to compare to when using the superlative form.
However, things get a little more complicated with “little” when you look at its superlative form.
Most shorter words allow for an “-est” ending, which is great when trying to establish that something is comparatively the “most” little of a group of things. However, some people like to think that “most little” also works since “more little” does.
The truth is, they’re not wrong. “Most little” is correct. Grammatically, there is nothing wrong with it. However, it’s better to use “littlest” because it’s the most conceptually appropriate form that most native speakers default to in their own writing.
- Correct: That is the littlest object I’ve ever seen.
- Incorrect: He has the most little guitar in the world!
What Are The Different Forms Of “Little”?
It would help for you to understand the different forms of “little” a little closer. There are only three forms we need to worry about here.
| Adjective | Little |
| Comparative | Littler / More little |
| Superlative | Littlest |
“Littler” and “more little” are both correct as the comparative forms, allowing us to choose. However, we must only stick to the one superlative form (littlest) if we want to be correct.
How Prevalent Is The Use Of “More Little” And “Littler”?
Now that we’ve covered everything you need to understand about the comparative form, it’s time to look into the popularity of the different choices. Since there are two choices, it would help to know which is more likely.
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “more little” is the most common choice, but not by much. “More little” is more common because it sounds a little more appropriate, while “littler” almost seems to lose the “-er” ending when you say it aloud.
Most people prefer “more little” because it’s more obvious when they write the comparative form:
- That is more little than I would have imagined it.
Sometimes, “littler” is overlooked as a typo or an error because only an “R” is added to the end of the world. Also, when you try to pronounce it, you might notice that it’s not the easiest word that rolls of the tongue.
- This bag is littler than my last one.
Still, both are common. We just prefer “more little” in most cases.
How Prevalent Is The Use Of “Most Little” And “Littlest”?
The graph for the superlative form is vastly different. After all, there is only one common choice that most people stick with.
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “littlest” is by far the most common superlative form for “little.” We use it because it follows the rules where two-syllable words have an “-est” ending added to them.
This is the preferred version:
- He is the littlest man I’ve ever met!
While “most little” is correct, it does not do the superlative form justice. We do not want to use it in most cases because the additional word can be a bit too much in most sentences.
- You are the most little person I’ve seen in a long time.
The extra word “most” can sometimes put people off reading the sentence. That’s why “littlest” is more common.
Examples Of How To Use The Comparative Form Of “Little” In A Sentence
- I am littler than my brother, even though I’m older than him.
- You are more little than me, but that’s okay.
- This bag is littler than my last one, and I’d like to return it.
- My phone is more little than yours!
- You have grown littler since we last met! I’m sure of it.
- I am more little than they say I am, but I don’t like to admit to that.
- You are littler than her, so you should swap positions in this lineup.
Examples Of How To Use The Superlative Form Of “Little” In A Sentence
- I am the littlest person in my class.
- She is the littlest girl I’ve ever seen.
- You are the littlest person here.
- This is the littlest I’ve ever cared about a subject.
- This is the littlest I’ve seen you speak.
- You are the littlest idiot on this planet.
- I have the littlest ego, I swear.
Is “Littler” Grammatically Correct?
“Littler” is grammatically correct. It is one of the two choices we have for the comparative adjective form of “little.” While it’s not the most popular choice (“more little” is), we can still use it to compare one thing as more “little” than another.
You may also like:
“Shy” – Comparative and Superlative Forms Explained
“Funnier” Or “More Funny” – Comparative & Superlative Forms
“Much” And “Many” – Comparative and Superlative Forms Explained
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
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- Степени сравнения little
10 декабря 2017г.
Прилагательные
Прилагательное little [ˈlɪtl] — особенное, поскольку его сравнительная и превосходная степени образуются двумя способами: и синтетически (с помощью суффиксов -er, -est), и супплетивно (исключения)
Перевод: маленький, небольшой, незначительный, слабый, ограниченный, плохой, ничтожный, мелкий, короткий, недлинный
Вконтакте
Одноклассники
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3 cтепени сравнения little
| Положительная степень (positive) |
Сравнительная степень (comparative) |
Превосходная степень (superlative) |
| little [ˈlɪtl] | less [les] littler [ˈlɪtələ] |
least [liːst] littlest [ˈlɪtələst] |
Примеры:
Get him that little table that he liked yesterday.
Купите ему это небольшой столик, который ему понравился вчера.They need much more power in less box.
Им необходимо гораздо больше энергии в меньшей коробке.Our committee has shown the least progress among others.
Наш комитет показал наименьший прогресс среди других.
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Статьи по теме:
- Степени сравнения large
- Степени сравнения many
- Степени сравнения good
- Степени сравнения big
What is the comparative and superlative for little?
asked Jul 8, 2014 at 4:28
2
I had considered this idea as well.
However less and least refer to quantity rather than size.
Superlative — The littlest
Comparative — Less than (used very infrequently. It would be more appropriate to choose a variant of the word ‘little’ based on its use)
answered Jul 8, 2014 at 4:51
Pro inglesPro ingles
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Yes, as @Jonenealaska says, if it is money then less and least apply. In the case of ‘girl’ littler and littlest, whilst grammatically correct are less often used than smaller, smallest.
But if you were talking about crabs you were catching in a net off the pier then I don’t see much wrong with littler and littlest.
answered Jul 8, 2014 at 6:45
WS2WS2
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I believe that the comparative and superlative for the word ‘little’ are: ‘less’ and ‘least’ respectively. If we want to compare inanimate things like dolls, can we say something like:
«My barbie doll is the littlest of all my dolls»
or
» My barbie doll is the littler of the two dolls».
?
J. Taylor
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answered Oct 30, 2015 at 13:14
2
I disagree with most of these answers. «Little» is an absolute — like the word «unique». It cannot be qualified. «Littlest» is a word rather like the phrase «curiouser and curiouser», in that it is a sort of verbal joke. I have never heard littler. As a test try saying «She is more little (littler) than her sister.» It sounds ridiculous. One has to use words like «small» in this context.
answered Jul 8, 2014 at 12:08
3
Степени сравнения — обобщающий термин форм прилагательного или наречия, которые выражают различные степени качества описываемого объекта. Они существуют в том числе и в английском языке. Рассмотрим степени сравнения прилагательного Little.
Существует всего три вида степеней: положительная (positive degree), сравнительная (comparative degree) и превосходная (superlative degree). Составляются они по-разному, и часто способ образования зависит от самого прилагательного или наречия. В одном из случаев понадобится дополнительное слово, в другом — суффикс, но а в третьем и вовсе изменится всё слово.
Содержание
- Перевод с английского на русский little
- Little, small — разница с примерами
- Little — степени сравнения прилагательных
- Сравнительная степень
- Превосходная степень
Перевод с английского на русский little
У слова одно лексическое значение — маленький (прилагательное), мало (наречие). Транскрипция: [lɪtl]. На русском: [литл].
Примеры использования в positive degree:
- We avoid products we know little about. (Мы избегаем продуктов, о которых мало знаем.)
- Tom runs a little better than Ben. (Том бегает немного лучше Бена.)
- This picture is really very little. (Эта картинка действительно очень маленькая.)
Прилагательное употребляют также в выражении «мало, но достаточно» — a little …, «мало и недостаточно» — little … Например: There was little milk in the bottle. (В бутылке было очень мало — недостаточно — молока.)
Little, small — разница с примерами
Люди, изучающие английский язык, регулярно допускают в устной и письменной речи ошибку, связанную с неправильным употреблением «small» и «little» в контекстах высказываний.
- Small — показатель физически небольшого размера. Например: a small man — маленький человек, a small ball — маленький мяч, a small room — маленькая комната.
- Может выражать интенсивность чего-либо: a small voice (тихий, слабый голос).
Стоит заметить, что в значении «немного» используется как с исчисляемыми, так и с неисчисляемыми существительными.
- Little — выделяет состояние незначительного количества или незначительности в общем. Например: a little task — небольшое задание, little business — маленькое дело, little water — немного воды.
Применяется только с неисчисляемыми существительными в значении «немного». Если нужно сказать об исчисляемых, то в большинстве случаев его заменит «few»: few pages (мало страниц), few lessons (мало занятий), few dishes (мало блюд).
Little — степени сравнения прилагательных
Степени сравнения Little нельзя образовать с помощью суффиксов «-er» и «-est» или дополнительных слов «more» и «the most». Это значит, нельзя сказать «littler/more little» или «the littlest/the most little».
Выходит, формы сравнения составляются полным изменением слова.
Сравнительная степень
Сравнительная степень little будет переводиться как «меньше» или «менее». На английском форма преобразуется в «less». Дополнительные слова не требуются.
Для сравнения нужен второй объект. Связь с ним будет производиться с помощью союза «than». Например:
- Mother put less sugar in her dessert than I did. (Мама положила в десерт меньше сахара, чем я.)
- His sister always ate less junk food than he usually did. (Его сестра всегда ела меньше вредной пищи, чем он сам.)
- I like today’s weather less than yesterday’s. (Сегодняшняя погода мне нравится меньше, чем вчерашняя.)
В то же время «less» может играть роль дополнительного слова для сравнения прилагательных:
- Your variant of the control work was less difficult than mine. (Твой вариант контрольной работы был менее трудным, чем мой.)
- This teacher is less interesting than the latest one. (Этот учитель менее интересный, чем прошлый.)
- Cats are less loyal than dogs. (Коты менее преданные, чем псы.)
Превосходная степень
Переводиться превосходная степень будет как «наименьший». Форма части речи преобразуется в «the least». Необходимо обратить внимание, что артикль the всегда ставится в степени данного вида.
Например:
- The Form 8 «A» is the least in the whole school. (8 «А» класс самый маленький во всей школе.)
- That’s literally the least you can do for me. (Это буквально самое малое, что ты можешь для меня сделать.)
- This section made the least sense to me. (Этот раздел имел для меня наименьший смысл.)
Примеры употреблений, когда «the least» — дополнительное слово:
- That was the least successful competition I’ve ever had. (Это было наименее успешное соревнование, которое у меня когда-либо было.)
- This oil has been the least explored. (Эта нефть была наименее исследованная.)
- My best friend is the least confident person among all my friends. (Моя лучшая подруга — наименее уверенный в себе человек среди всех моих друзей.)
Образование степеней сравнения прилагательного: Good, better, the best
A Quick Guide on “Less” vs. “Least”
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“Less” is the irregular comparative and “least” is the corresponding superlative. We’ll explain what makes them irregular and how to use these words correctly.
Quick Summary on the Difference Between “Less” and “Least”
- Less is the comparative form of little and refers to “a smaller amount of.” Least is the superlative form of little and refers to “the smallest amount of.”
- ○ James had little energy left, and Erica had even less.
- ○ Jordan, however, had the least amount of energy after the birthday party and went straight to sleep.
To understand when to use less or least, you must first know what comparatives and superlatives are. Comparatives and superlatives are used for comparisons of adjectives, and they help show comparisons between two or more nouns.
Take for example the word high. Its comparative form is higher, and its superlative is highest. Because high is a regular adjective, forming the comparative (+ “–er”) and the superlative (+ “–est”) is easy. However, some words are irregular, meaning the comparative and superlative don’t follow the usual pattern.
Little, and its comparative and superlative form—less and least—are the perfect examples. This blog post will explain what these words mean and when to use less or least.
When To Use “Less”
Less is the comparative of little and can function as a determiner, pronoun, adjective, or adverb. Regardless of its function in a sentence, less usually means “a smaller amount or degree of something” or “to a smaller extent.”
We had much less money compared to the beginning of our vacation.
I need to spend less time on social media and more time reading.
Finding sufficient funds for our endeavors is less of a problem than it used to be.
Although not as common, less can also function as a preposition and is synonymous with minus.
She collected her entire salary less the tax and insurance.
Here are a few common expressions that include the word less and what they mean:
1. Less and less: diminishing in amount or degree
She had less and less respect for the chairman of the committee.
2. More or less: almost or approximately
I made about $400 a night as a server, more or less.
3. Much less: introduces something that is less likely than something already mentioned
They weren’t going to give her a promotion, much less a raise.
When To Use “Least”
Least is the superlative of little and can also function as a determiner, pronoun, adjective, or adverb. Least refers to “the smallest amount, extent, degree, or significance.”
They exerted the least amount of effort possible.
Whether I won or not was the least of my worries.
The least you could do is call and ask if she’s okay.
A few expressions that contain the word least are:
1. At the very least: indicates that what was previously stated is the lowest possible
The project is going to take five years to complete, at the very least.
2. Not in the least: not at all
I’m not in the least worried about the debate.
3. To say the least: implies that the reality is more extreme
I was utterly shocked, to say the least
4. Last but not least: last in order of mention but not of importance
And last but not least, I’d like to thank my sister.
Remember
Less and least are used for singular nouns, whereas fewer and fewest are used for plural nouns.
Comparatives and superlatives can be challenging, especially when they’re irregular. When dealing with little and its comparative and superlative, all you have to remember is their order:
- little → less → least
LanguageTool—a multilingual text editor—can also ensure your text is error-free by detecting incorrect use of comparatives and superlatives, like less and least, worse and worst, and many more.
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