SUPERLATIVES


There are two types of superlative: relative and absolute. 

	What is a 'relative' superlative?:
		The relative superlative describes a noun 
		in comparison with of some larger group:

			John is the smartest boy in the class.
                	Mary is the youngest person in the room.
			Of the three, Moe is the meanest.  


	What is an 'absolute' superlative?:
		The absolute superlative does NOT describe 
		the noun in comparison with a larger group:

			John is very smart.
			The book is extremely expensive.
			The food is indescribably tasty. 


RELATIVE SUPERLATIVE IN SPANISH:
In Spanish, the relative superlative construction is similar to the comparative:

	[definite article] + [noun] + 'ms' ( or 'menos') + [adjective] + de + [noun] :

		Juan es el chico ms inteligente de la clase.
                (John is the smartest boy in the class.)

		Juan es el chico menos inteligente de la clase.
                (John is the least intelligent boy in the class.)

               Bill Gates es el hombre ms rico de los EEUU.
               (Bill Gates is the richest man in the U.S.)


ABSOLUTE SUPERLATIVE IN SPANISH:
The absolute superlative for adjectives has three possible forms. 

	muy + [adjective]
	sumamente + [adjective]
	[adjective] + simo (-a, -os, -as) 


Each superlative statement is a little stronger than the one that precedes it:

	muy guapo   (very handsome)
	sumamente guapo    (extremely handsome)
	guapsimo    (indescribably handsome)
