4.6 Gradable and ungradable




As in Catalan, some adjectives (called gradable) allow degrees (and comparison), e.g.:



quite big, very big, bigger than

(But not: absolutely big)



Other adjectives (called ungradable) do not allow degrees. We can say, for example:



absolutely enormous, really enormous

(But not: quite enormous, very enormous, more enormous than)



Examples of modifying adverbs Examples of gradable adjectives Catalan

very

big

molt gran

rather

tired

bastant cansat/ada

quite1

nice

força maco/a

extremely

angry

extremadament enfadat/ada

really2

pleased

realment agraït/ïda

reasonably

tasty

força gustós/osa




Examples of modifying adverbs Examples of ungradable adjectives Catalan

absolutely

enormous

absolutament enorme

totally

exhausted

totalment exhaust/a

quite1

delightful

completament encantador/a

perfectly

furious

perfectament furiós/osa

really2

ecstatic

realment estàtic/a

positively

delicious

postivament deliciós/osa


1 With gradable adjectives, quite means ‘fairly’; with ungradable adjectives it means ‘perfectly’.

2 With gradable adjectives, really means ‘very’; with ungradable adjectives it means ‘perfectly’.