Svetlana Flemming - Colloquial Russian - The Next Step in Language Learning

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Four adjectives have a one-word declinable comparative, used instead 9

of adjective + boĺee:

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1

bol;wo´j

boĺ;wij

bigger, greater

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maĺen;kij

meń;wij

smaller, lesser

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ploxo´j

xu´dwij

worse

2

xoro´wij

lu´hwij

better

3

lu´hwie poezda ‘better trains’; boĺ;wij vy

´ bor ‘greater choice’.

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5

Four more adjectives have a one-word declinable comparative in addi-6

tion to the boĺee form. The form used depends on the context: 7

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molodo´j

boĺee molodo´j

younger (things)

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mla´dwij

younger, junior (people)

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staŕyj

boĺee staŕyj

older (things)

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staŕwij

elder, senior (people)

2

vyso´kij

boĺee vyso´kij

higher, taller (literal)

3

vy

świj

higher, superior (figurative)

4

niźkij

boĺee niźkij

lower (literal)

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niźwij

lower, inferior (figurative)

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boĺee staŕye poezda´ ‘older trains’; staŕwie bra´t;q ‘elder 7

brothers’; boĺee vyso´kie goŕy ‘higher mountains’; vyśwee obra-8

zovańie ‘higher education’.

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Exercise 6

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3

Put the adjective in brackets into the appropriate form of the long 4

comparative.

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1 Turisti´heskoe ageństvo predlagaét (intereśnyj) poeźdki v 7

Rossi´[. 2 @eleźnye doro´gi staĺi (nade¨'nyj) vi´dom trańsporta.

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3 Ezdit; na (byśtryj) skorostny´x poezda´x – odnoúdovoĺ;stvie.

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4 Priq´tno 'it; v (staŕyj) goŕode. 5 Dlq poeźdki v Rossi´[

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nu'na´ (bol;wo´j) su´mma deńeg. 6 Bile´ty v tea´tr proda[

´ tsq po

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2

(niźkij) ceńam. 7 (Vyso´kij) obrazovańie ispy´tyvaet kriźis.

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8 Legkoŕabo´tat; s (maĺen;kij) hislo´m studeńtov. 9 (Boga´tye) 4

predpohita´[t eźdit; (udo´bnyj) peŕvym klaśsom. 10 U menqódiń 5

(molodo´j) brat i dve (staŕye) sestry´.

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Short (predicative) comparatives

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The short comparative is formed by adding -ee (alternative ending 40

-ej) to the stem of the adjective. The ending is the same for all genders 1

and for the plural. It is better to use the short form to translate sen-421111

tences where the verb ‘to be’ comes between noun / pronoun and the

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comparative. Otherwise, use the long, boĺee form. The short comparative also renders sentences beginning ‘It is / was / will be . . . er’: No´vye poezda´ bystreé

New trains are faster.

Skorostny

é poezda´ bu´dut udo´bnee

Express trains will be more convenient.

Lu´hwe lete´t; A\roflo´tom

It is better to fly by Aeroflot.

Contrast:

My e´dem na boĺee no´vom poézde

‘We are going on a newer train’.

Short comparatives of some adjectives end in -e:

bliźkij

bli´'e

closer

boga´tyj

boga´he

richer

vyso´kij

vy

´ we

higher

glubo´kij

glu´b'e

deeper

gro´mkij

gro´mhe

louder

dale¨kij

daĺ;we

further

dewe¨vyj

dewe´vle

cheaper

dorogo´j

doro´'e

dearer

'aŕkij

'aŕhe

hotter

koro´tkij

koro´he

shorter

kre´pkij

kre´phe

stronger

molodo´j

molo´'e

younger

mq´gkij

mq´ghe

softer

niźkij

ni´'e

lower

ploxo´j

xu´'e

worse

prosto´j