LingoflyBigger than: the particle விட
A Tamil adjective never changes. There is no pair 'big — bigger': பெரிய (periya) stays பெரிய (periya) however much you compare. For example: “அதைவிட இது (idu) பெரிசு” (perisu) — This is bigger than that. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A Tamil adjective never changes. There is no pair 'big — bigger': பெரிய (periya) stays பெரிய (periya) however much you compare.
Comparing is done by a separate word — விட (viḍa) 'compared with'. It stands right after what you compare with, and the whole bundle comes first. அதைவிட இது (idu) பெரிசு (perisu) (adaiviḍa idu perisu) — 'this is bigger than that'. Before விட (viḍa) the word shifts its tail: அது (adu) → அதை (adai).
'The most' uses the same word, only you compare with everything at once: எல்லாத்தையும் (ellāttaiyum) விட (viḍa) நல்லது (nalladu) (ellāttaiyum viḍa nalladu) — 'best of all'.
The mistake everyone makes is saying 'bigger' with the one word அதிகம் (adigam). அதிகம் (adigam) means 'a lot', not 'more'. Without விட (viḍa) nothing is compared.
Table
| What we compare with | Phrase | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| அது (adu) → அதை (adai) | அதைவிட இது (idu) பெரிசு (perisu) | this is bigger than that |
| இந்தக் (indak) கடை (kaḍai) → கடையை (kaḍaiyai) | இந்தக் (indak) கடையைவிட விலை குறைவு (vilai kuṟaivu) | cheaper than in this shop |
| எல்லாம் (ellām) → எல்லாத்தையும் (ellāttaiyum) | எல்லாத்தையும் (ellāttaiyum) விட (viḍa) நல்லது (nalladu) | the best of all |
By example
- அதைவிட இது பெரிசுadaiviḍa idu perisuThis is bigger than that
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Bigger than: how does it work in Tamil?
A Tamil adjective never changes. There is no pair 'big — bigger': பெரிய (periya) stays பெரிய (periya) however much you compare.
What does it look like in a Tamil example sentence?
“அதைவிட இது (idu) பெரிசு” (perisu) (adaiviḍa idu perisu) — This is bigger than that. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.