4z A SPANISH REFERENCE GRAMMAR

est boy in the class; but, mi mejor amigo, my best friend. See 204, 208. 200.

(d) After a superlative in is expressed by de : see 200. Note also that, contrary to English usage, the superlative may be used in comparing only two nouns: este es el mejor de los dos libros, this one is the better of the two books. 201.

(e) With several superlatives modifying the same noun mks or menos need be used only before the first adjective: el hombre ma's rico y bondadoso, the richest and kindest man. 202.

(f) If the superlative is in the predicate and refers only to the subject, the definite article is omitted: yo era ma's feliz entonces,

I was happiest then. 203.

(g) When a superlative modifies a noun in apposition with another, the whole superlative expression may follow the noun: Juan, muchacho el mas aplicado de la clase, 7ohn, the most diligent boy of the class. 204.

(h) Irregular comparisons: bueno, mejor, el mejor, good, better, best; malo, peor, el peor, bad, worse, worst; grande, mas grande or mayor, el mas grande or el mayor, large larger, largest; but the above irregular forms frequently refer to age, older, oldest; pequeflo, mas pequefio or menor, el ma's pequeno or el menor, small, smaller, smallest,

THE ABSOLUTE SUPERLATIVE   43

or younger, youngest; mucho, Inds, los mas, much, more, most; poco, menos, los menos, little, less, least. Juan es mas grande que Pedro y mayor que Carlos, 7ohn is larger than Peter and older than Charles; los mas (de los) hombres son buenos, most men are good. 205.

1. Mas bueno, and mas malo are sometimes used. 206.

2. An intensification of the quality is often secured by prefixing re- or rete- : rebueno or retebueno, very, very good. 207.

(i) Mejor, peor, menor, and mayor usually precede the noun they modify: el mejor hombre de la ciudad, the best man in the city. 208.

2. Absolute superlative.

1. The superlative degree of the adjective with the ending -isimo expresses without comparison a high degree of the quality. This is called the absolute superlative. The effect is much the same as when muy, sumamente or extremadamente is placed before the positive: fertil, fertilisimo (sumamente fertil), very fertile; rico, riquisimo (muy rico), very rich. 209.

2. A final vowel disappears before this ending: interesante, interesantisimo, very interesting. 210.