Unit 15: The theatre 217
The prefix пo- is sometimes added to short form comparatives mean-
ing ‘a little more’ or, paradoxically, ‘as much as possible’: пора�ньше
‘a little earlier, as early as possible’. Как мо�жно used with the com-
parative also translates ‘as . . . as possible’: как мо�жно быстре�е ‘as
quickly as possible’.
Some adjectives have a one-word declinable comparative instead
of the бо�лее form:
(большо�й) бо�льший ‘bigger’
(ма�ленький) ме�ньший ‘smaller, lesser’
(плохо�й) ху�дший ‘worse’
(хоро�ший) лу�чший ‘better’The following have one-word declinable comparatives as well as the
regular бо�лее form. The form you choose depends on the context:
(высо�кий) бо�лее высо�кий ‘higher, taller’ (literal description)
вы�сший ‘higher, superior’ (figurative use
only)
(ни�зкий) бо�лее ни�зкий ‘lower’ (literal description)
ни�зший ‘lower, inferior’ (figurative use only)
(молодо�й) бо�лее молодо�й ‘younger’ (of things)
мла�дший ‘younger, junior’ (people only)
(ста�рый) бо�лее ста�рый ‘older’ (of things)
ста�рший ‘elder, senior’ (people only)Examples:
Ста�рший брат ‘elder brother’
бо�лее старый унивеpсите�т ‘older university’
вы�сшее образова�ние ‘higher education’
бо�лее высо�кое зда�ние ‘taller building’Comparative of adverbs
The comparative of the adverb is the same as the corresponding short
comparative adjective:
Они иду�т бы�стро, a мы идём быстре�е
‘They go quickly, but we go more quickly’.
Он рабо�тает хорошо�, a мы рабо�таем лу�чше
‘He works well, but we work better’.