178–179 Comparative Degree 195

стрый ‘old’ ст"рший ‘older, senior’

молодй ‘young’ мл"дший ‘younger, junior’

большй ‘big’ бльший ‘bigger’

мленький ‘small’ мньший ‘smaller’

Note
(a) Стрший and млдший are used only with animate nouns and
collectives, and usually imply seniority and juniority: мл"дший/
ст"рший сын ‘younger/elder son’, мл"дший/ст"рший класс
‘junior/senior class’, мл"дший/ст"рший лейтеннт ‘junior/senior
lieutenant’ etc. The context may be amplified to resolve possible
ambiguity: стрший по взрасту/по службному положнию ‘older
in years/senior in rank’, млдший по взрасту/по длжности
‘younger in years/junior in position’. For inanimate nouns, блее
ст"рый is used:

На эстрде стоBло строе пианно и лежла ещё бдее ст"рая

штнга (Kuleshov)
On the stage were an old piano and an even older lifting weight

(b) Мл"дший and ст"рший can also mean ‘youngest’ and ‘eldest’,
дчший and хдший ‘best’ and ‘worst’ (see 185 (3) notes (a)
and (b)).
(c) Some forms of большй ‘big’ and бльший ‘bigger’ are distinguished
only by stress: больш"я часть ‘a large part’, бльшая часть ‘the
greater part’ etc.

179 Predicative comparative forms in -tt

(1) The predicative comparative of most adjectives is formed by adding

the ending -ее to the stem of the adjective:

красв-ее (is, are) more beautiful

удбн-ее (is, are) more comfortable

(2) Comparatives in -ее are invariable, that is, they are used as predicates
to nouns of any gender and either number:

сад красвее the garden is more beautiful

картна красвее the picture is more beautiful
древо красвее the tree is more beautiful
196 The Adjective 179–180

цвет красвее the flowers are more beautiful

(3) Adjectives which have end-stressed -" in the feminine short form have
end stress -е in the comparative (see 164 (2)):

нове (is, are) newer

сложне (is, are) more complex
тяжеле (is, are) heavier

Note
Здорове, (is, are) ‘healthier’, despite feminine short form здорва.

(4) An alternative comparative form in -ей is confined mainly to

conversational styles, verse and the more casual prose styles:

Клбы длают жизнь свох члнов ползней (Sputnik)

The clubs make the lives of their members more useful

(5) The following types of adjective either have no comparative short

forms or have forms which are very rarely used:

(i) Adjectives which denote concepts which cannot be manifested to a

greater or lesser degree, e.g. босй ‘barefoot’, бр"тский ‘fraternal’,
деревнный ‘wooden’.

(ii) Adjectives of colour.

(iii) Some others, e.g. вншний ‘external’, грдый ‘proud’.

(6) Some adjectives with no short-form comparative (e.g. драматческий

‘dramatic’) have synonyms which do have short forms (драматчнее ‘is,
are more dramatic’, from драматчный).

(7) If an adjective does have a short-form comparative, the use of its long
form in predicative meaning is regarded as ‘bookish’ (;та кнга блее
ползная ‘The book is more useful’ (ползнее is the preferred form)) and
may distinguish high style (Показтели блее выские ‘Indices are
higher’) from neutral style (Дом в*ше ‘The house is taller’. See 180(1)).

180 Comparative short forms in -t

(1) The final consonants of some adjectives undergo mutation in the

comparative short form (note, however, that in some adjectives with
 180 Comparative Degree 197

suffix -к- it is the preceding consonant that mutates, e.g. глдкий:

глже). The resultant comparatives end in a single unstressed -е:

в : вл дешёвый cheap дешвле (is, are) cheaper

(However, нвый ‘new’, comparative нове (is, are) ‘newer’.)

г:ж дорогй dear дорже (is, are) dearer

стргий strict стрже (is, are) stricter
тугй tight тже (is, are) tighter

д:ж глдкий smooth глже (is, are) smoother

молодй young молже (is, are) younger
рдкий rare рже (is, are) rarer
твёрдый hard твёрже (is, are) harder

(However, худй ‘thin’, comparative худе ‘is, are thinner’.)

Note
‘Is, are younger’ is also rendered as мл"дше, mainly in a family context:
cf. Он мл"дше/молже сестр ‘She is younger than her sister’ and
Он молже начльника ‘She is younger than the boss’.

з:ж блзкий near блже (is, are) nearer

нзкий low нже (is, are) lower
зкий narrow же (is, are) narrower

к:ч грмкий loud грмче (is, are) louder

жркий hot жрче (is, are) hotter
крпкий strong крпче (is, are) stronger
лёгкий light, easy лгче (is, are) lighter, easier
млкий shallow мльче (is, are) shallower
мBгкий soft мBгче (is, are) softer
рзкий sharp рзче (is, are) sharper

с:ш выский high вше (is, are) higher

ск : щ плский flat плще (is, are) flatter

ст : щ густй thick гще (is, are) thicker

простй simple прще (is, are) simpler
тлстый thick тлще (is, are) thicker
чстый frequent чще (is, are) more frequent
чстый clean чще (is, are) cleaner
198 The Adjective 180

т:ч богтый rich богче (is, are) richer

корткий short корче (is, are) shorter
крутй steep крче (is, are) steeper
(However, святй ‘holy’, comparative святе ‘is, are holier’.)
х:ш сухй dry сше (is, are) drier
тхий quiet тше (is, are) quieter

Note
(a) Though грький ‘bitter’ has the short-form comparative грче,
блее грький (is, are) ‘more bitter’ is normally used in both
attributive and predicative meanings.
(b) Adjectives which have no short-form comparative or a little-used
comparative also form the predicate with блее : втхий ‘ancient’,
грдый ‘proud’, з*бкий ‘shaky’, лпкий ‘sticky’, ст"рый ‘old’ (of
objects) etc.
(2) Irregular short forms include a number which end in -ше:
большй big бльше (is, are) bigger
длгий long дльше (is, are) longer
мленький small мньше (is, are) smaller
стрый old ст"рше (is, are) older
тнкий thin тньше (is, are) thinner
хорший good лчше (is, are) better
Объём товрного хлба был на 40% бльше
The volume of marketable grain was 40 per cent greater

Note
Д"льше ‘further’ and р"ньше ‘earlier’ are used only as adverbs.
(3) Other irregular short forms end in -же, -ще, -е:
глубкий deep глбже (is, are) deeper
плохй bad хже (is, are) worse
пздний late пзже (is, are) later (also поздне)
слдкий sweet сл"ще (is, are) sweeter
ширкий wide шре (is, are) wider

Note
Unlike поздне, пзже (here used as an adverb) also has an absolute
meaning: Оперцию ребBта провел тчно — скжет пзже
глвный гелог (Komsomolskaya pravda) ‘ “The lads carried out the
 180–182 Comparative Degree 199

operation precisely”, the chief geologist was to say later’ (i.e.

afterwards).

181 The short-form comparative in predicative meaning

The short-form comparative’s main function is predicative:

Ег глос грмче
His voice is louder
МоB машна был нове
My car was newer
Её воспоминния бдут интерснее
Her reminiscences will be more interesting
Живе цвет стли ещё свеже
The live flowers became fresher still

182 Constructions with the comparative

(1) Than
‘Than’ is rendered in one of the following ways:
(i) By чем, preceded by a comma. Both items for comparison must be in
the same case:
Я вше, чем он
I am taller than he is
У менB блее свтлые глаз, чем у вас
I have lighter eyes than you do
or:
(ii) By the genitive of comparison. This construction is possible only when
the first item for comparison is in the nominative case:
Я вше ег
I am taller than he is
Я стрше свой сестр
I am older than my sister
200 The Adjective 182

Note
Only the чем construction is possible with attributive adjectives:

;то блее красвый дом, чем наш

This is a more attractive house than ours

and when the second item for comparison has the form of a third-person
possessive pronoun (ег, её, их)

Мой дом красвее, чем ег

My house is more beautiful than his

(2) Quantification of a difference

A difference is quantified in one of the following ways:

(i) By the preposition на + accusative case:

Он стрше менB на три гда

He is three years older than me

(ii) (Less usually) with an instrumental:

Он трем год"ми стрше менB

He is three years older than me

(3) Expression of comparison through a multiple

Comparison may also be expressed through a multiple (constructions with

в + accusative):

Он в два р"за (вдве) стрше менB

He is twice as old as I am

(4) The ‘gradational’ comparative

Constructions of the type ‘the bigger the better’ are rendered by чем . . . ,
тем:

Чем бльше, тем лчше

The bigger the better

Note
Тем лчше ‘So much the better’.

(5) The expression of ‘much’ + comparative

 182–183 Comparative Degree 201

‘Much’ in combination with a comparative is expressed by намнго,

гор"здо, куд" or мнго:

Ег рабта намнго лчше/гор"здо лчше, чем моB

His work is much better than mine
(6) As . . . as possible

‘As . . . as possible’ is rendered by как мжно + comparative:

Куп бутлку как мжно блее дешёвого вин

Buy a bottle of the cheapest wine you can get

Note
This construction, however, is commoner with adverbs than with
adjectives, in combination with which it can sound somewhat stilted
(cf. also use of the short form in: Куп вин подешвле ‘Buy some
cheaper wine’. See 183 (2).

(7) Repeated comparatives (e.g. ‘smaller and smaller’)

Repeated comparatives normally combine with всё:

Всё блже и блже роковй момнт (Makarov)

The fateful moment gets nearer and nearer

Note
Unlike English, Russian may omit the second comparative: всё блже
‘nearer and nearer’. However, the repetition of the comparative lends greater
expressiveness. Cf. всё бльшее (и бльшее) признние ‘greater and
greater recognition’.

183 The short-form comparative in attributive meaning

(1) In colloquial registers the short-form comparative is sometimes used

attributively:

У тебB нет человка блже (Aksenov)

There is no person closer to you

(2) This is particularly common with short forms prefixed по-:

Покажте плтье подешвле

Show me a slightly cheaper dress
202 The Adjective 184–185

184 Other functions of the short-form comparative

(1) Short-form comparatives can function as introductory words:

Интерснее говорть, чем слшать

It is more interesting to speak than to listen

(2) Many short-form comparatives also function as adverbs (see 398):

Он дет быстре He is driving faster

Он рабтает бльше She works harder

Вожк всё нже и нже опускл глову к земл (Astafev)

The leader of the herd hung his head lower and lower to the ground

Note
In such cases the distinction between comparative adjective and comparative
adverb is syntactic only, cf.: ;та кнга интерснее, чем та ‘This book
is more interesting (adjective) than that one’ and ;та кнга напсана
интерснее, чем та ‘This book is written in a more interesting way
(adverb) than that one’.

(3) Short-form comparatives are also used impersonally: втренее ‘it

is windier’, прохл"днее ‘it is cooler’, светле ‘it is lighter’, темне
‘it is darker’, тепле ‘it is warmer’, холодне ‘it is colder’.

Note
Adverbs of the type блее вним"тельно ‘more attentively’ (for standard
внимтельнее) are rarely used.

The Superlative Degree of the Adjective

185 The superlative degree with cávsq

(1) The superlative degree is formed by combining с"мый with the

positive adjective:

с"мый красвый дом the most beautiful house

с"мая красвая машна the most beautiful car
с"мое красвое здние the most beautiful building
с"мые красвые дти the most beautiful children
 185 Superlative Degree 203

(2) С"мый agrees with the adjective and noun in gender, number and
case:

Он провёл пять лет в однм из с"мых красвых европйских

городв
He spent five years in one of the most beautiful European cities

Он живёт в с"мом большм дме на ншей лице

She lives in the largest house in our street

(3) С"мый also combines with the comparatives лчший and хдший:

с"мые лчшие пожелния

the very best wishes

с"мое хдшее, что мжно себ предствить

the worst thing one can imagine

Note
(a) Лчший and хдший (see 178 note (b)) also function as
superlatives in their own right: лчшая из жнщин ‘the best of
women’; в хдшем слчае ‘in the worst case, if the worst comes
to the worst’.
(b) Ст"рший and мл"дший may also function as comparatives or
superlatives: ст"рший брат ‘elder/eldest brother’, мл"дшая сестр
‘younger/youngest sister’. Outside the family or other hierarchy,
however, ‘youngest’ and ‘oldest’ are rendered as с"мый ст"рый,
с"мый молодй:

Мслов — кстти, с"мый молодй из полковх начльников

(Bogomolov)
Maslov, incidentally, is the youngest of the regimental commanders
(cf. смый мл"дший ‘the most junior’)

(c) The phrases с"мое бльшее ‘at most’, с"мое мньшее ‘at the very
least’: с"мое бльшее 30 человк ‘30 people at most’.

(4) Superlatives with с"мый may also express an extreme manifestation

of the quality denoted by the adjective:

С"мые ширкие круг учёных

The very widest circles of scientists
204 The Adjective 186–187

186 Dßcibq and yπpibq

В*сший and нзший are used mainly in technical and set expressions:
в*сший/нзший балл ‘top/bottom mark’, в*сший/нзший сорт
‘superior/inferior brand’, в*сшая матем"тика ‘higher mathematics’,
в*сшее учбное заведние ‘higher teaching establishment’, в в*сшей
стпени ‘to the highest degree’.

Note
‘Highest’ and ‘lowest’ in the literal sense are rendered as с"мый
выский/нзкий: с"мый выский/нзкий потолк ‘the highest/lowest
ceiling’.

187 The superlative in -tqibq and -fqibq

(1) Superlatives in -ейший are formed from a limited range of adjectives,

mainly with monosyllabic roots: важнйший ‘most important’, крупнйший
‘largest, very large’, малйший ‘slightest’, новйший ‘latest, most recent’,
сильнйший ‘strongest’, сложнйший ‘most complex’:
Нет ни малйшего сомнния
There is not the slightest doubt
Новйшие достижния наки
The latest achievements of science
Чистйший вздор
The most arrant nonsense
(2) However, a number of superlatives derive from roots of more than
one syllable: в*годнейший ‘most favourable’, интерснейший ‘most
interesting’ etc.
(3) The ending -айший is affixed to stems ending in a velar consonant,
following mutation of г to ж (строж"йший from стргий ‘strict’,
драж"йший from дорогй ‘dear’), к to ч (высоч"йший from выский
‘high’, кратч"йший from крткий ‘short’, легч"йший from лёгкий
‘light’, мельч"йший from млкий ‘small’, редч"йший from рдкий ‘rare’)
and х to ш (тиш"йший from тхий ‘quiet’). Note also ближ"йший ‘nearest’
from блзкий ‘near’.
(4) Most superlatives in -ейший and -айший express an extreme
manifestation of the quality denoted by the adjective: