Difference between revisions of "Language/Russian/Grammar/Comparatives-and-Superlatives"

Latest revision as of 18:34, 16 June 2023

◀️ Adjective Agreement — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Hobbies ▶️

Russian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparatives and Superlatives

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Welcome to the lesson on comparatives and superlatives in Russian grammar! In this lesson, you will learn how to form comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs in Russian, and how to use them in sentences. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Russian Course" and is designed for complete beginners who want to learn Russian. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of how to compare things and express the highest degree of something in Russian. So let's get started!

Adjective Agreement[edit | edit source]

Before we dive into comparatives and superlatives, let's quickly review adjective agreement in Russian. Adjectives in Russian change their form to agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. This means that the ending of the adjective will change depending on the gender of the noun it describes, whether the noun is singular or plural, and the grammatical case it appears in.

For example, let's take the adjective "красивый" (beautiful) and see how it changes based on the noun it modifies:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
красивый	krah-SEE-vy	beautiful (masculine singular)
красивая	krah-SEE-vuh-yuh	beautiful (feminine singular)
красивое	krah-SEE-vuh-ye	beautiful (neuter singular)
красивые	krah-SEE-vy-ye	beautiful (plural)

As you can see, the ending of the adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. This is an important concept to understand when forming comparatives and superlatives in Russian.

Comparatives[edit | edit source]

Comparatives are used to compare two things or express a higher degree of something. In Russian, comparatives can be formed in two ways: by adding the suffix "-ее" or by using the word "более" (more) followed by the adjective or adverb.

Let's see some examples of how to form comparatives in Russian:

1. Using the "-ее" suffix:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
хороший	hah-ROH-shee	good
лучше	LOO-she	better
плохой	PLOH-khoy	bad
хуже	HOO-zhe	worse
большой	BOHL'-shoy	big
больше	BOHL'-she	bigger

As you can see, to form the comparative, we simply add the "-ее" suffix to the adjective or adverb.

2. Using the word "более" (more):

Russian	Pronunciation	English
интересный	een-tye-REHS-ny	interesting
более интересный	BOH-lye-ye een-tye-REHS-ny	more interesting
скучный	SKOOCH-ny	boring
более скучный	BOH-lye-ye SKOOCH-ny	more boring

In this case, we use the word "более" (more) before the adjective or adverb to indicate the comparative form.

Superlatives[edit | edit source]

Superlatives are used to express the highest or most extreme degree of something. In Russian, superlatives can be formed in two ways: by adding the suffix "-ейший" or by using the word "самый" (the most) followed by the adjective or adverb.

Let's see some examples of how to form superlatives in Russian:

1. Using the "-ейший" suffix:

Russian	Pronunciation	English
высокий	VY-so-kee	tall
самый высокий	SAH-miy VY-so-kee	the tallest
маленький	mah-LYEN'-kee	small
самый маленький	SAH-miy mah-LYEN'-kee	the smallest
умный	OOM-ny	smart
самый умный	SAH-miy OOM-ny	the smartest

To form the superlative, we add the "-ейший" suffix to the adjective or adverb.

2. Using the word "самый" (the most):

Russian	Pronunciation	English
красивый	krah-SEE-vy	beautiful
самый красивый	SAH-miy krah-SEE-vy	the most beautiful
интересный	een-tye-REHS-ny	interesting
самый интересный	SAH-miy een-tye-REHS-ny	the most interesting

In this case, we use the word "самый" (the most) before the adjective or adverb to indicate the superlative form.

Using Comparatives and Superlatives in Sentences[edit | edit source]

Now that we know how to form comparatives and superlatives in Russian, let's learn how to use them in sentences.

1. Comparatives:

When using comparatives in sentences, we need to keep in mind the following structure:

Subject + verb + comparative + noun

For example:

- Моя кошка выше твоей кошки. (My cat is taller than your cat.) - Этот фильм интереснее того фильма. (This movie is more interesting than that movie.)

In these examples, the comparative form of the adjective is used to compare two things.

2. Superlatives:

When using superlatives in sentences, we need to keep in mind the following structure:

Subject + verb + superlative + noun

For example:

- Ленинград - самый красивый город России. (St. Petersburg is the most beautiful city in Russia.) - Это самое вкусное блюдо, которое я когда-либо пробовал. (This is the most delicious dish I've ever tried.)

In these examples, the superlative form of the adjective is used to indicate the highest degree of something.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

Congratulations! You have learned how to form comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs in Russian. You now know how to compare things and express the highest degree of something. Keep practicing and using comparatives and superlatives in your conversations to improve your Russian skills. In the next lesson, we will continue exploring the world of Russian grammar. Спасибо и до скорой встречи! (Thank you and see you soon!)

Table of Contents - Russian Course - 0 to A1[edit source]

Course Presentation

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Basic Phrases and Greetings

Nouns and Gender

Numbers and Time

Cases and Prepositions

Family and Relationships

Verbs and Conjugation

Food and Dining

Russian Traditions and Holidays

Travel and Transportation

Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjective Agreement
Comparatives and Superlatives

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

Russian Literature and Arts

Videos[edit | edit source]

Russian Grammar: Degrees of Comparison - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Intermediate Russian: Making Comparisons. Comparatives - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

◀️ Adjective Agreement — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Hobbies ▶️

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+<span pgnav>
+{| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"
+|[[Language/Russian/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement|◀️ Adjective Agreement — Previous Lesson]]
+|[[Language/Russian/Vocabulary/Hobbies|Next Lesson — Hobbies ▶️]]
+|}
+</span>
 {{Russian-Page-Top}}
 <div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/Russian|Russian]]  → [[Language/Russian/Grammar|Grammar]] → [[Language/Russian/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]] → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparatives and Superlatives</div>
 __TOC__
-As a Russian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to share with you the intricacies of forming comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs in Russian. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Russian Course", designed to take you from a complete beginner to an A1 level speaker.
+== Introduction ==
-<h2>Introduction</h2>
+Welcome to the lesson on comparatives and superlatives in Russian grammar! In this lesson, you will learn how to form comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs in Russian, and how to use them in sentences. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Russian Course" and is designed for complete beginners who want to learn Russian. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid understanding of how to compare things and express the highest degree of something in Russian. So let's get started!
-When learning any language, it is important to understand how to compare things, people, or actions. Russian, like many other languages, has a system for forming comparatives and superlatives to express these comparisons.
+== Adjective Agreement ==
+Before we dive into comparatives and superlatives, let's quickly review adjective agreement in Russian. Adjectives in Russian change their form to agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. This means that the ending of the adjective will change depending on the gender of the noun it describes, whether the noun is singular or plural, and the grammatical case it appears in.
+For example, let's take the adjective "красивый" (beautiful) and see how it changes based on the noun it modifies:
+{| class="wikitable"
+! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| красивый || krah-SEE-vy || beautiful (masculine singular)
+|-
+| красивая || krah-SEE-vuh-yuh || beautiful (feminine singular)
+|-
+| красивое || krah-SEE-vuh-ye || beautiful (neuter singular)
+|-
+| красивые || krah-SEE-vy-ye || beautiful (plural)
+|}
-In this lesson, you will learn about the formation of comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs in Russian, and how to use them in sentences. The lesson assumes that you are already familiar with the basics of Russian grammar, including the gender of nouns and the declension of adjectives and nouns.
+As you can see, the ending of the adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. This is an important concept to understand when forming comparatives and superlatives in Russian.
-<h2>Comparatives of Adjectives and Adverbs</h2>
+== Comparatives ==
-Comparative adjectives are used to compare two items, people, or actions. In English, the comparative form is usually formed by adding -er to the end of the adjective, for example, "bigger" or "faster". In Russian, comparatives are formed in a similar way, but with some important differences.
+Comparatives are used to compare two things or express a higher degree of something. In Russian, comparatives can be formed in two ways: by adding the suffix "-ее" or by using the word "более" (more) followed by the adjective or adverb.
-The comparative form of adjectives is formed by adding the ending -е at the end of the stem. If the stem ends in a consonant, the ending -же is used instead. If the adjective has a soft sign at the end, the ending -е is added directly to the stem, without the soft sign.
+Let's see some examples of how to form comparatives in Russian:
-Let's take a look at some examples:
+. Using the "-ее" suffix:
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
 |-
-| высокий (vysokee)  || vɨˈsokʲɪj || high
+| хороший || hah-ROH-shee || good
-| выше (vyshe) || ˈvɨʂɨ || higher
+|-
+| лучше || LOO-she || better
+|-
+| плохой || PLOH-khoy || bad
 |-
-| быстрый (bystryi)  || ˈbɨstrɨj || fast
+| хуже || HOO-zhe || worse
-| быстрее (bystrʲeye) || ˈbɨstrʲɪjɪ || faster
 |-
-| хороший (khoroshii) || xɐrɐˈʂɨj || good
+| большой || BOHL'-shoy || big
-| лучше (luchshe) || ˈlut͡ʂʂɪ || better
+|-
+| больше || BOHL'-she || bigger
 |}
-As you can see from the examples, the comparative form of adjectives is formed by removing the last two letters of the stem and adding -е or -же instead. The comparative form of adjectives agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
+As you can see, to form the comparative, we simply add the "-ее" suffix to the adjective or adverb.
-<h3>Irregular Comparatives</h3>
+. Using the word "более" (more):
-As with most languages, there are some irregular comparative forms that do not follow the standard pattern. Here are some examples:
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
 |-
-| маленький (malyenkiy) || mɐˈlʲenʲkʲɪj || small
+| интересный || een-tye-REHS-ny || interesting
-| меньше (men'she) || ˈmʲenʲʂɨ || smaller
 |-
-| старый (staryi) || stɐˈrɨj || old
+| более интересный || BOH-lye-ye een-tye-REHS-ny || more interesting
-| старше (starshye) || ˈstarʂɨjɪ || older
 |-
-| хороший (khoroshii) || xɐrɐˈʂɨj || good
+| скучный || SKOOCH-ny || boring
-| лучше (luchshe) || ˈlut͡ʂʂɪ || better
 |-
-| большой (bol'shoy) || bɐlʲˈʂoj || big
+| более скучный || BOH-lye-ye SKOOCH-ny || more boring
-| больше (bol'she) || ˈbɐlʲʂɨ || bigger
 |}
-<h2>Superlatives of Adjectives and Adverbs</h2>
+In this case, we use the word "более" (more) before the adjective or adverb to indicate the comparative form.
-Superlative adjectives are used to compare three or more items, people, or actions. In English, the superlative is usually formed by adding -est to the end of the adjective, for example, "biggest" or "fastest". In Russian, superlatives are also formed in a similar way, but with some important differences.
+== Superlatives ==
-The superlative form of adjectives is formed by adding the ending -ой or -ей to the end of the stem, depending on the gender of the noun. Adjectives ending in a consonant usually take the ending -ой, while adjectives ending in -ий take the ending -ей. If the stem ends in a vowel, the ending -ей is used instead of -ой.
+Superlatives are used to express the highest or most extreme degree of something. In Russian, superlatives can be formed in two ways: by adding the suffix "-ейший" or by using the word "самый" (the most) followed by the adjective or adverb.
-Let's take a look at some examples:
+Let's see some examples of how to form superlatives in Russian:
+. Using the "-ейший" suffix:
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
 |-
-| высокий (vysokee) || vɨˈsokʲɪj || high
+| высокий || VY-so-kee || tall
-| самый высокий (samiy vysokiy) || ˈsamɨj ˈvɨsokʲɪj || the highest
 |-
-| быстрый (bystryi) || ˈbɨstrɨj || fast
+| самый высокий || SAH-miy VY-so-kee || the tallest
-| самый быстрый (samiy bystryy) || ˈsamɨj ˈbɨstrɨj || the fastest
 |-
-| хороший (khoroshii) || xɐrɐˈʂɨj || good
+| маленький || mah-LYEN'-kee || small
-| самый хороший (samiy khoroshiy) || ˈsamɨj xɐrɐˈʂɨj || the best
+|-
+| самый маленький || SAH-miy mah-LYEN'-kee || the smallest
+|-
+| умный || OOM-ny || smart
+|-
+| самый умный || SAH-miy OOM-ny || the smartest
 |}
-Superlatives of adjectives follow the same gender and number agreement rules as the comparative form.
+To form the superlative, we add the "-ейший" suffix to the adjective or adverb.
-<h3>Irregular Superlatives</h3>
-As with comparatives, there are also some irregular superlative forms in Russian. Here are some examples:
+. Using the word "самый" (the most):
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
 |-
-| маленький (malyenkiy) || mɐˈlʲenʲkʲɪj || small
+| красивый || krah-SEE-vy || beautiful
-| самый маленький (samiy malyenkiy) || ˈsamɨj mɐˈlʲenʲkʲɪj || the smallest
 |-
-| старый (staryi) || stɐˈrɨj || old
+| самый красивый || SAH-miy krah-SEE-vy || the most beautiful
-| самый старый (samiy staryy) || ˈsamɨj ˈstarɨj || the oldest
 |-
-| хороший (khoroshii) || xɐrɐˈʂɨj || good
+| интересный || een-tye-REHS-ny || interesting
-| самый хороший (samiy khoroshiy) || ˈsamɨj xɐrɐˈʂɨj || the best
 |-
-| большой (bol'shoy) || bɐlʲˈʂoj || big
+| самый интересный || SAH-miy een-tye-REHS-ny || the most interesting
-| самый большой (samiy bol'shoy) || ˈsamɨj bɐlʲˈʂoj || the biggest
 |}
-<h2>Comparative and Superlative Adverbs</h2>
+In this case, we use the word "самый" (the most) before the adjective or adverb to indicate the superlative form.
+== Using Comparatives and Superlatives in Sentences ==
+Now that we know how to form comparatives and superlatives in Russian, let's learn how to use them in sentences.
+. Comparatives:
+When using comparatives in sentences, we need to keep in mind the following structure:
+Subject + verb + comparative + noun
+For example:
-In addition to adjectives, adverbs can also be compared. Comparative adverbs are used to compare two actions, while superlative adverbs are used to compare three or more actions. The comparative and superlative forms of adverbs are generally formed by adding -ее and -ейше, respectively, to the end of the adverb.
+- Моя кошка выше твоей кошки. (My cat is taller than your cat.)
+- Этот фильм интереснее того фильма. (This movie is more interesting than that movie.)
-Let's take a look at some examples:
+In these examples, the comparative form of the adjective is used to compare two things.
-{| class="wikitable"
+. Superlatives:
-! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
-|-
-| быстро (bystra) || ˈbɨstro || fast
-| быстрее (bystrʲeye) || ˈbɨstrʲɪjɪ || faster
-| самым быстро (samy bystro) || ˈsamɨm ˈbɨstro || the fastest
-|}
-When compared, adverbs do not change in gender or number.
+When using superlatives in sentences, we need to keep in mind the following structure:
-<h2>Usage in Sentences</h2>
+Subject + verb + superlative + noun
-To use comparatives and superlatives in sentences, you need to follow a specific structure. Comparative sentences use the structure "A (noun) - (verb) - B (noun) + (comparative)", while superlative sentences use the structure "A (noun) - самый (superlative) - в (location) + из (group of things)". Let's take a look at some examples:
+For example:
-{| class="wikitable"
+- Ленинград - самый красивый город России. (St. Petersburg is the most beautiful city in Russia.)
-! Russian !! Pronunciation !! English
+- Это самое вкусное блюдо, которое я когда-либо пробовал. (This is the most delicious dish I've ever tried.)
-|-
-| Кошка быстрее собаки. (Koshka bystrye sorbagi) || ˈkoʂkə bɨstrʲɪjɪ sɐˈbakʲɪ || The cat is faster than the dog.
-|-
-| Самый красивый город в мире. (Samiy krasivyy gorod v myre) || ˈsamɨj krɐˈsʲivɨj ˈɡorət f mʲirʲe || The most beautiful city in the world.
-|}
-As you can see, the structure of comparative and superlative sentences includes the comparative or superlative form itself, as well as the specific nouns and verbs being compared.
+In these examples, the superlative form of the adjective is used to indicate the highest degree of something.
-<h2>Conclusion</h2>
+== Conclusion ==
-Learning how to form comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs is an essential part of mastering the Russian language. As with any new grammar structure, be sure to practice using comparatives and superlatives in context, so that you can use them confidently in everyday conversation.
+Congratulations! You have learned how to form comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs in Russian. You now know how to compare things and express the highest degree of something. Keep practicing and using comparatives and superlatives in your conversations to improve your Russian skills. In the next lesson, we will continue exploring the world of Russian grammar. Спасибо и до скорой встречи! (Thank you and see you soon!)
-With this lesson, you are one step closer to becoming an A1 level speaker of Russian. In our next lesson, we will delve deeper into the world of hobbies and leisure activities.
+{{#seo:
+|title=Russian Grammar → Adjectives and Adverbs → Comparatives and Superlatives
+|keywords=Russian grammar, adjectives, adverbs, comparatives, superlatives, Russian course, beginner Russian
+|description=In this lesson, you will learn how to form comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs in Russian, and how to use them in sentences.
+}}
 {{Russian-0-to-A1-Course-TOC}}
@@ Line 142: / Line 167: @@
 [[Category:0-to-A1-Course]]
 [[Category:Russian-0-to-A1-Course]]
-<span gpt></span> <span model=gpt-3.5-turbo></span> <span temperature=1></span>
+<span gpt></span> <span model=gpt-3.5-turbo-16k></span> <span temperature=0.7></span>
 ==Videos==
@@ Line 154: / Line 176: @@
 ===Intermediate Russian: Making Comparisons. Comparatives - YouTube===
 <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX6XeRv8L3U</youtube>
+==Sources==
+* [https://russianenthusiast.com/russian-grammar/comparatives-and-superlatives/ Comparatives and superlatives of Russian adjectives explained]
+* [http://www.study-languages-online.com/russian-adjective-superlative.html Superlative adjective :: Study Russian Online]
+* [https://www.ruspeach.com/en/learning/13553/ Comparative adjectives in the Russian language]
+==Other Lessons==
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/How-to-Use-be|How to Use be]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Nouns|Nouns]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Personal-Pronouns|Personal Pronouns]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Punctuation|Punctuation]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Noun-Adjective-Agreement|Noun Adjective Agreement]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Use-of-the-verb-быть-in-the-past|Use of the verb быть in the past]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion|Give your Opinion]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/To-and-же-particles-in-Russian|To and же particles in Russian]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Perfective-Imperfective|Perfective Imperfective]]
+* [[Language/Russian/Grammar/Nominative-Case|Nominative Case]]
 {{Russian-Page-Bottom}}
+<span pgnav>
+{| class="wikitable pg_template_nav"
+|[[Language/Russian/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement|◀️ Adjective Agreement — Previous Lesson]]
+|[[Language/Russian/Vocabulary/Hobbies|Next Lesson — Hobbies ▶️]]
+|}
+</span>