Colloquial Russian

216 Unit 15: Теáтр

Грамма�тика

Comparatives of adjectives

A Russian adjective may be turned into the comparative by placing

the word бо�лее ‘more’ in front of it. The word бо�лее remains the

same whatever case or number the adjective is in: бо�лее yдо�бные

кварти�ры ‘more comfortable flats’.

Oни� живу�т в бо�лее удо�бных кварти�рах

‘They live in more comfortable flats’.

The word бо�лее is used with the long form of the adjective. There

is a short comparative adjective with the ending -ее (alternative ending

-ей). The ending -ее is used for all genders and for the plural:

Моя� кварти�ра удо�бнее ‘Му flat is more comfortable’.

Теа�тр интере�снее ‘Theatre is more interesting’.

Cтyде�нты умне�е ‘Students are cleverer’.

The short comparative is used to translate sentences such as those

above, where the verb ‘to be’ comes between noun and adjective.

Some adjectives have an irregular short form comparative ending in -e:

(бли�зкий) бли�же nearer (большо�й) бо�льше bigger

(высо�кий) вы�ше higher (далёкий) да�льше further

(дешёвый)деше�вле cheaper (дорого�й) доро�же dearer

(лёгкий) ле�гче easier (молодо�й) моло�же/

мла�дше

younger

(ни�зкий) ни�же lower (плохо�й) ху�же worse

(просто�й) про�ще simpler (ра�нний) ра�ньше earlier

(ре�дкий) ре�же rarer (ста�рый) ста�рше older

(of people)

(ча�стый) ча�ще more

frequent

старе�е older

(of things)

(хоро�ший) лу�чше better (широ�кий) ши�ре wider

(я�ркий) я�рче brighter

Note also:

(мно�го) бо�льше more (ма�лo) ме�ньше less