Comparatives and Superlatives

kwa after an adjective makes a comparison; thii sut makes a superlative. Neither changes the adjective itself.

More than

Thai does not have bigger, better, hotter. It has big-more, good-more, hot-more. kwa (กว่า) follows the describing word and means 'more than'. yai kwa is bigger. dii kwa is better. phaeng kwa is more expensive. The adjective never changes, so there is no irregular list to learn - a genuine relief after English. To say what you are comparing against, put it straight after kwa: yai kwa nii, bigger than this.

The most

thii sut (ที่สุด) after the adjective makes it a superlative: yai thii sut, biggest; aroi thii sut, most delicious. It also works as a plain intensifier at the end of a sentence, meaning 'the most' or 'best of all', which is why you hear it so often in adverts and food reviews. For 'less', Thai usually turns the sentence around rather than reaching for a word: instead of 'this is less spicy', say 'that one is spicier' or 'this one is not very spicy'.

As much as, and the same

thao kan (เท่ากัน) means 'the same amount' or 'equally': song an nii thao kan, these two are the same. muean kan (เหมือนกัน) means 'the same' or 'me too', and is one of the friendliest things you can say in a conversation - it signals agreement and shared experience at once. For 'not as ... as', use mai ... thao (ไม่...เท่า): mai phaeng thao nan, not as expensive as that.

Turning up the volume

mak (มาก) after an adjective means very: aroi mak, very delicious. It is the neutral, all-purpose intensifier. chang (จัง) and chang loei (จังเลย) are the warm spoken versions, closer to 'so' or 'really': aroi chang, that is so good. They make you sound like a person rather than a phrasebook. nit noi (นิดหน่อย) is the opposite, a little: phet nit noi, a little spicy. And mai khoi (ไม่ค่อย) in front means not very: mai khoi phet, not very spicy.

Comparing while you shop

Comparison is what markets run on. These are the lines that get you a better price or a better dish.

Changing the adjective

There is nothing to change. yai kwa, not yai-er. Learners with a strong grammar habit sometimes try to modify the word itself, or reach for a 'more' word in front of it in the English position. kwa always follows. Say the quality, then say more.

Confusing thuk with thuk

thuk (ถูก) means cheap, and also means correct, and also marks the passive. thuk (ทุก) with a different tone means every. They are separate words that sound close to a new ear. In a shopping context, thuk kwa is 'cheaper' and is exactly what you want to say. thuk wan is 'every day' and is not.

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