GrammarComparative

The comparative (сравни́тельная сте́пень) is the form you use to say that something has more of a quality — bigger, faster, more interesting.

• Э́та кни́га интере́снее. (This book is more interesting.)
• Мой брат ста́рше. (My brother is older.)
• Здесь тепле́е. (It is warmer here.)

Two ways to make a comparative

Russian has two ways to build the comparative, and it is worth knowing both from the start:

• The simple comparative — one word, formed with a special ending: интере́сный → интере́снее (that form never changes).
• The compound comparative — two words, using бо́лее (more) in front of the ordinary adjective: бо́лее интере́сный. Here the adjective still agrees with its noun.

They mean the same thing; they are just used in slightly different places, as we will see below.

1. The simple comparative (-ее)

For most adjectives, take the stem off and add -ее. For example for adjective у́мный (smart) the comparative is умне́е (smarter). This is a fixed form regardless of gender or number: Он умне́е, Она́ умне́е, Они́ умне́е (he / she is / they are smarter) all use the very same word.

Stress tip: with short stems the stress usually moves onto the ending (но́вый → нове́е, сильне́е, умне́е), while with longer stems it stays where it was (краси́вее, интере́снее). In everyday speech you may also hear the ending shortened to -ей (быстре́й for быстре́е) — the same word, just more informal.

The stem can change (-е group)

Some common adjectives whose stem ends in г, к, х, д, т, ст have their comparative not with -ее but with -е instead, and the final consonant changes. These are very frequent, so it is best to learn them by heart.

A few in this group are simply irregular and worth memorising on their own: дешёвый → деше́вле (cheaper), далёкий → да́льше (farther).

Irregular comparatives

A few extremely common adjectives have their own comparative that you just have to know:

We have the full list of irregular comparatives here.

2. The compound comparative with бо́лее

The other way is to put бо́лее (more) in front of the adjective. The adjective keeps its normal ending and agrees with the noun, as it always does:

• бо́лее интере́сный фильм (a more interesting film)
• бо́лее интере́сная кни́га (a more interesting book)
• бо́лее интере́сные фи́льмы (more interesting films)

The opposite is ме́нее (less), which works the same way:

• ме́нее ва́жный вопро́с (a less important question)

This pattern works with almost any adjective and is especially handy when you cannot remember the simple form.

When to use which form

The two forms are not fully interchangeable. The rule of thumb:

• Simple comparative (интере́снее) — use it after the noun, when you are focusing on the comparison:
  Э́тот фильм интере́снее. (This film is more interesting.)
• Compound comparative (бо́лее интере́сный) — use it before a noun, when you are rather describing the thing itself:
  Э́то бо́лее интере́сный фильм. (This is a more interesting film.)

Because the simple comparative never changes, it cannot sit in front of a noun and agree with it. So бо́лее интере́сный фильм is fine, but интере́снее фильм is not.

The simple comparative is also what you use with verbs: Он бежи́т быстре́е. (He runs faster.)

Saying “than”

There are two ways to say than, and both are common.

With comma + чем

Use чем, with a comma in front of it. The two things being compared stay in the same case:

• Москва́ бо́льше, чем Петербу́рг. (Moscow is bigger than Petersburg.)
• Он ста́рше, чем я. (He is older than I am.)

With the genitive (no чем)

With the simple comparative you can drop чем and instead put the second thing into the genitive case:

• Москва́ бо́льше Петербу́рга. (Moscow is bigger than Petersburg.)
• Он ста́рше меня́. (He is older than me.)

Both sentences in each pair mean the same thing. The genitive version is shorter and very common in speech.

Making the comparison stronger

To say much more, put намно́го or гора́здо (much, far) in front of the comparative:

• намно́го быстре́е (much faster)
• гора́здо лу́чше (far better)

To say a little more, put чуть (slightly) in front, or add the prefix по- to the simple comparative:

• чуть вы́ше (a bit taller)
• побыстре́е (a bit faster), полу́чше (a little better)

And to say by how much, use на + the amount in the accusative:

• Он ста́рше меня́ на два го́да. (He is two years older than me.)

A handy fixed phrase: Чем бо́льше, тем лу́чше. (The more, the better.)

Common mistakes

• Don't combine both forms. Use one or the other, never both.
  бо́лее быстре́е (wrong) → быстре́е or бо́лее бы́стрый (correct)
• Don't put the -ее comparative before a noun. Use бо́лее + adjective there.
  интере́снее кни́га (wrong) → бо́лее интере́сная кни́га (correct)
• Don't forget the comma before чем.
  Он ста́рше чем я (wrong) → Он ста́рше, чем я (correct)
• Don't try to make the simple comparative agree. It has only one form.
  Э́ти кни́ги интере́снее is correct — no plural ending is added.

Summary

• The comparative means “more X”. In Russian you have two options for that.
• Stem + -ее, for example интере́снее; some are -е with a consonant change (доро́же, ти́ше).
• бо́лее + the adjective, for example бо́лее интере́сный; and the adjective still agrees with the noun.
• Irregulars to memorise: лу́чше, ху́же, бо́льше, ме́ньше.
• Say than with ", чем" (ста́рше, чем я) or comparative + genitive (ста́рше меня́).
• The highest degree (“the most …”) is the superlative.