Degrees of Comparison in Russian: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Forms

Degrees of Comparison in Russian: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Forms

In Russian, adjectives and adverbs can express different levels of quality or intensity through the degrees of comparison. These degrees are used to compare the qualities of one or more nouns or actions. The three main degrees of comparison are:

  1. Positive Degree (положительная степень)
  2. Comparative Degree (сравнительная степень)
  3. Superlative Degree (превосходная степень)

In this article, we will explore how these degrees are formed and used in Russian, focusing on adjectives and adverbs.


1. Positive Degree (Положительная степень)

The positive degree is the basic form of an adjective or adverb, which simply describes the quality or characteristic of a noun or an action. It does not make any comparison.

Examples:

  • Красивый (beautiful)
  • Быстрый (quick)
  • Маленький (small)
  • Хорошо (well)

Example sentences:

  • Она красивая. (She is beautiful.)
  • Этот фильм интересный. (This film is interesting.)
  • Он бегает быстро. (He runs quickly.)

2. Comparative Degree (Сравнительная степень)

The comparative degree is used to compare two objects or actions, indicating that one is more or less than the other in terms of a particular quality. In Russian, the comparative degree is typically formed by adding the suffix -ее or -ой to the adjective stem, or by using the word более (more) or менее (less) before the adjective.

2.1. Regular Comparatives (Using Suffixes)

For many adjectives, the comparative degree is formed by adding the suffix -ее or -ей to the stem of the adjective.

Examples:

  • Красивый (beautiful) → Красивее (more beautiful)
  • Маленький (small) → Меньше (smaller)
  • Интересный (interesting) → Интереснее (more interesting)
  • Умный (smart) → Умнее (smarter)

Example sentences:

  • Она красивее меня. (She is more beautiful than me.)
  • Этот фильм интереснее другого. (This film is more interesting than the other one.)
  • Он умнее своих друзей. (He is smarter than his friends.)

2.2. Irregular Comparatives (Using более and менее)

For some adjectives, especially those ending in -ий, -ый, or -ой, the comparative degree is formed by using более (more) or менее (less) before the adjective.

Examples:

  • Удобный (comfortable) → Более удобный (more comfortable)
  • Дорогой (expensive) → Более дорогой (more expensive)
  • Сложный (complex) → Более сложный (more complex)
  • Простой (simple) → Менее простой (less simple)

Example sentences:

  • Этот стул более удобный, чем тот. (This chair is more comfortable than that one.)
  • Эта книга менее сложная, чем другая. (This book is less complex than the other one.)

3. Superlative Degree (Превосходная степень)

The superlative degree is used to express the highest or lowest degree of a quality within a group or a category. This degree indicates that something or someone possesses the quality to the greatest extent compared to others.

3.1. Regular Superlatives (Using Suffixes)

The superlative degree is often formed by adding the suffix -ейший or -ший to the stem of the adjective. This is used mostly with adjectives that end in -ий, -ый, or -ой.

Examples:

  • Красивый (beautiful) → Красивейший (most beautiful)
  • Высокий (tall) → Высочайший (tallest)
  • Интересный (interesting) → Интереснейший (most interesting)
  • Глубокий (deep) → Глубочайший (deepest)

Example sentences:

  • Это самая красивая девушка в классе. (She is the most beautiful girl in the class.)
  • Это самый высокий человек в группе. (This is the tallest person in the group.)
  • Этот фильм — самый интересный. (This film is the most interesting one.)

3.2. Using самый (most) for Superlative**

Another common way to form the superlative degree in Russian is by using the word самый (the most) before the adjective. This construction is used for both regular and irregular adjectives.

Examples:

  • Самый красивый (the most beautiful)
  • Самый хороший (the best)
  • Самый быстрый (the fastest)
  • Самый умный (the smartest)

Example sentences:

  • Она самая красивая из всех. (She is the most beautiful of them all.)
  • Это самый интересный фильм. (This is the most interesting film.)

3.3. Superlative with наиболее (the most)

For more formal or literary expressions, you can use наиболее (the most) to form the superlative degree.

Examples:

  • Наиболее важный (the most important)
  • Наиболее интересный (the most interesting)
  • Наиболее сложный (the most complex)

Example sentences:

  • Это наиболее важный вопрос. (This is the most important question.)
  • Наиболее интересные книги были прочитаны. (The most interesting books were read.)

4. Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular forms in the comparative and superlative degrees. These forms do not follow the regular rules of adding suffixes or using более and менее.

Examples of irregular comparatives and superlatives:

  • Хороший (good) → Лучший (better) → Лучший (the best)
  • Плохой (bad) → Худший (worse) → Худший (the worst)
  • Много (many) → Больше (more) → Больше всего (the most)
  • Мало (few) → Меньше (fewer) → Меньше всего (the least)

Example sentences:

  • Это лучший фильм, который я видел. (This is the best movie I have seen.)
  • Этот подход худший из всех. (This approach is the worst of all.)
  • У меня больше всего друзей. (I have the most friends.)
  • Она всегда меньше всего опаздывает. (She is always the least late.)

5. Comparison of Adverbs

Just like adjectives, adverbs can also be compared in Russian. The comparative and superlative degrees of adverbs are usually formed in the same way as adjectives, either with the suffixes -ее or -ей or by using более (more) or менее (less).

Examples:

  • Быстро (quickly) → Быстрее (more quickly) → Наиболее быстро (most quickly)
  • Хорошо (well) → Лучше (better) → Лучше всего (the best)
  • Много (a lot) → Больше (more) → Больше всего (the most)

Example sentences:

  • Она бегает быстрее меня. (She runs faster than me.)
  • Он делает свою работу лучше всех. (He does his job better than anyone.)
  • Она работает быстрее всех. (She works the fastest.)

6. Conclusion

The degrees of comparison in Russian — positive, comparative, and superlative — allow us to express different levels of qualities, actions, or states. The comparative and superlative degrees enable us to compare things and highlight extremes, whether positive or negative. By mastering these forms, you can greatly improve your ability to describe and compare things in Russian.


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