Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

гро´мчe

крe´пкий, strong

крe´пчe

мя´гкий, soft

мя´гчe

я´ркий, bright

я´рчe

Note:

лёгкий has лe´гчe.

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9.3

Adjectival forms

(d)

in many other common adjectives, including many which end

in - кий, by some other means, e.g.

бли´зкий, near

бли´жe

глубо´кий, deep

глу´бжe

дaлёкий, distant

дa´льшe

дeшёвый, cheap

дeшe´влe

до´лгий, long (of time)

до´льшe

коро´ткий, short

коро´чe

мe´лкий, shallow

мe´льчe

по´здний, late

по´зжe(оr позднeé)

рa´нний, early

рa´ньшe(оr рa´нee)

рe´дкий, rare

рe´жe

слa´дкий, sweet

слa´щe

то´нкий, thin

то´ньшe

у´зкий, narrow

у´жe

широ´кий, wide

ши´рe

Note:

го´рький, bitter , has го´рчein its literal meaning, but when used figuratively has го´ршe.

r The short comparative forms of the following eight adjectives, six of which are themselves already comparatives, give particular difficulty: бо´льший, bigger

бо´льшe

мe´ньший, smaller

мe´ньшe

лу´чший, better

лу´чшe

ху´дший, worse

ху´жe

стa´рший, older (of people), senior

стa´ршe

млa´дший, junior

млa´дшe

высо´кий, high

вы´шe

ни´зкий, low

ни´жe

Note:

the form моло´жemust be used as a comparative of млa´дший when it means younger .

r Outside R2 the suffix - eйmay be encountered, as an alternative to -ee, e.g. новe´й. This suffix may have an archaic or colloquial flavour, or it may be used in verse for metrical reasons.

r The prefix по- is frequently attached to the short comparative, especially in R1, to modify the meaning, e.g. побо´льшe, a little bigger , полу´чшe, a bit better .

r There are many adjectives from which short comparative forms cannot be derived, especially:

(a)

those in - скийor - ско´й, e.g. ру´сский, Russian ; мужско´й, male ; (b)

those in - овый/- ово´йor - eвый/- eво´й, e.g. мa´ссовый, mass ; пeрeдово´й, advanced ;

(c)

those of verbal origin in - лый, e.g. устa´лый, tired ; (d)

some in - кий, e.g. дe´рзкий, bold ; ли´пкий, sticky ; ро´бкий, timid ; ско´льзкий, slippery ;

311

9

Inflection

(e)

miscellaneous adjectives, e.g. больно´й, ill ; вe´тхий, decrepit ; го´рдый, proud ; ли´шний, superfluous .

9.4

Formation of adverbs

Adverbs are formed in the following ways:

(a)

from adjectives with a stem in a hard consonant and from present and past passive participles (or adjectives derived from them), by addition of - oto the stem, e.g.

бы´стрый, quick

бы´стро

нeобходи´мый, inevitable

нeобходи´мо

взволно´вaнный, agitated

взволно´вaнно

(b)

from adjectives with a stem in a soft consonant and from

adjectives derived from present active participles, by addition of - eto the stem, e.g.

крa´йний, extreme

крa´йнe

блeстя´щий, brilliant

блeстя´щe

Note:

some adjectives in -ний have adverbs in - o, e.g. дaвно´(← дa´вний); по´здно

(← по´здний); рa´но(← рa´нний); и´скрeнний has either и´скрeнноor и´скрeннe.

(c)

from adjectives in - ский,- ско´й,- цкий, by addition of - иto the stem, e.g.

дру´жeский, amicable

дру´жeски

мaстeрско´й, masterly

мaстeрски´

молодe´цкий, spirited

молодe´цки

(d)

by prefixing по- to a masculine/neuter dative form of the adjective or an adverb of the type in (c) above, to form adverbs of manner, e.g.

по-друго´му

in a different way

по-прe´жнeму

as before

по-моéму

in my opinion

по-ру´сски

(in) Russian

по-чeловe´чьи

like a human being

(e)

by a combination of preposition + short adjective or long adjective or noun, e.g.

нaпрa´во

to the right

слeгкa´

slightly

вполнe´

fully

вкруту´ю

hard-boiled (of egg)

нaконe´ц

finally

подря´д

in succession

снaчa´лa

at first

зa´мужeм

married (of woman)

нaкaну´нe

оn the eve

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9.5

Declension of numerals

(f )

in miscellaneous other ways, such as by use of the instrumental form of a noun or on the basis of a numeral, e.g.

шёпотом

in a whisper

вeсно´й

in spring

пeшко´м

on foot

вдвоём

as a pair

9.5

Declension of numerals

оди´н ( 1 )

m

n

f

pl

nom

оди´н

одно´