German Comparisons of Equality: Using so ... wie and nicht so ... wie
Learn to say two things are equal with so ... wie, and unequal with nicht so ... wie, in everyday German sentences.
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In German, when you want to say that two people or things are equal in some way, you use the pattern so ... wie. For example, Sie ist so groß wie ihr Bruder means 'She is as tall as her brother.' To say something is not equal, you put nicht before so: Er ist nicht so schnell wie ich, 'He is not as fast as I am.' This lesson teaches you the exact word order, the role of adjectives, and how this differs from comparative forms like schneller (faster) and am schnellsten (fastest). You will practise with common adjectives and see how German uses wie for equality, not als, which appears only in comparisons of inequality.
By the end, you can…
- say that two people or things are equal using so + adjective + wie.
- say that one thing is not as ... as another using nicht so + adjective + wie.
- ask and answer simple questions about equality using so ... wie.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Sie ist so groß wie ihr Bruder.
She is as tall as her brother.
zee ist zo grohs vee eer broo-der
Basic equality sentence with a feminine subject and a possessive noun.
Er ist nicht so schnell wie ich.
He is not as fast as I am.
air ist nikht zo shnell vee ikh
Negation with nicht before so; note that German uses the subject pronoun ich, not mich, after wie.
Mein Auto ist so teuer wie dein Auto.
My car is as expensive as your car.
mine OW-toh ist zo TOY-er vee dine OW-toh
Comparing two objects with a neuter noun; the adjective teuer stays unchanged.
Das Wetter ist heute nicht so schön wie gestern.
The weather today is not as nice as yesterday.
das VET-ter ist HOY-tuh nikht zo shurn vee GES-tern
Comparing time periods; gestern is an adverb, not a noun, after wie.
Bist du so müde wie ich?
Are you as tired as I am?
bist doo zo MUE-duh vee ikh
Yes/no question with the verb first; the so ... wie frame stays around the adjective.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is so + adjective + wie. The adjective does not change its ending in this structure, because it is not before a noun. Examples: Berlin ist so interessant wie München. Der Kaffee ist so heiß wie der Tee. For negation, place nicht directly before so: Das Buch ist nicht so spannend wie der Film. The word wie is never replaced by als in this equality pattern.
When to use it
Use so ... wie when you want to state that two things are equal in a quality. Use nicht so ... wie when the first item is less than the second. Compare: Anna ist so fleißig wie Lisa (equal) versus Anna ist nicht so fleißig wie Lisa (Anna is less diligent). Do not confuse this with the comparative, which uses als: Anna ist fleißiger als Lisa (Anna is more diligent than Lisa). The equality pattern keeps the basic adjective form.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ist dein Bruder so alt wie du?
Is your brother as old as you?ist dine broo-der zo alt vee dooNein, er ist nicht so alt wie ich. Er ist jünger.
No, he is not as old as I am. He is younger.nine air ist nikht zo alt vee ikh air ist YUENG-erUnd ist er so groß wie deine Schwester?
And is he as tall as your sister?unt ist air zo grohs vee DINE-uh SHVES-terJa, er ist genauso groß wie sie.
Yes, he is exactly as tall as she is.yah air ist guh-NOW-zo grohs vee zeeA little context goes a long way
In German, wie is the standard word for equality in all regions. In Austria and parts of southern Germany, you may hear als in everyday speech for inequality, but so ... wie remains the same. In formal writing, use wie only for equality and als only for inequality.
One thing to watch for
Using als instead of wie in an equality sentence, for example: Sie ist so groß als ihr Bruder.
Try this instead: Use wie for equality: Sie ist so groß wie ihr Bruder. Remember: wie = equal, als = unequal (comparative).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'The film is as good as the book.'
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Der Film ist so gut wie das Buch.
The adjective gut stays in its basic form between so and wie. Other word orders are possible if the subject and predicate are swapped, but the so ... wie frame must remain.
2Make it negative: 'Lisa is as tall as Tom.'
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Lisa ist nicht so groß wie Tom.
Place nicht before so to negate the equality. You could also say Lisa ist kleiner als Tom, but that changes the structure to a comparative.
3Answer in German: 'Bist du so müde wie ich?' (Yes, exactly.)
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Ja, ich bin genauso müde wie du.
Genauso emphasises exact equality. A simple Ja, ich bin so müde wie du is also correct.
Use so + adjective + wie for equality and nicht so + adjective + wie for inequality; never use als in this pattern.
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