Better, Bigger, Best: Comparison
Comparing is arguing's polite cousin, and Russians do both with gusto — Москва или Петербург? зима или лето? This lesson arms you for every version of the debate.
The -ее Ending
Most adjectives compare with -ее — and the comparative never changes form:
The Famous Four
The most-used comparatives are irregular — like English good → better:
than = чем
Москва больше, чем Тверь.
Moscow is bigger than Tver.
Note: Comma before чем, always. Больше, чем — bigger than.
The Best
самый + adjective — the most. It agrees like any adjective:
Common Mistakes
- Agreement on comparatives. Интереснее never changes — no интереснее-ая exists.
- Более + irregulars. Более лучше is a double comparative — just лучше.
- Skipping the comma. Больше, чем — the comma before чем is standard.
What You Can Do Now
You can compare cities, seasons, prices and books — and crown a winner with самый. The Москва-или-Петербург debate now has room for your opinion.