More expensive and cheaper: yoter, mi- and hachi
An adjective does not change for comparison. The word yoter (יותר), more, simply stands before it: yoter yakar — more expensive, yoter zol — cheaper. There is no other way to compare. For example: “הפירות בשוק יותר זולים.” — The fruit at the market is cheaper. A rule from the Hebrew course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
An adjective does not change for comparison. The word yoter (יותר (йотэр)), more, simply stands before it: yoter yakar — more expensive, yoter zol — cheaper. There is no other way to compare.
"Than" hides in the prefix mi-: yakar mehachanut — more expensive than at the shop. The prefix sticks to the next word, the same way the article ha- does.
The top degree is hachi (הכי (хахи)) plus the adjective: hachi yakar — the most expensive, hachi zol — the cheapest.
One trap: yoter also means more of something. Yoter kafe — more coffee; yoter yakar — more expensive. What follows decides: an adjective makes it a comparison, a thing makes it an amount.
Table
| plain | comparative | superlative |
|---|---|---|
| יקר — expensive | יותר יקר | הכי יקר |
| זול — cheap | יותר זול | הכי זול |
| טוב — good | יותר טוב | הכי טוב |
| חם — hot | יותר חם | הכי חם |
| קר — cold | יותר קר | הכי קר |
By example
- הפירות בשוק יותר זולים.ха-пейрот ба-шук йотэр золим.The fruit at the market is cheaper.
- זה יותר יקר מהחנות.зэ йотэр якар ми-ха-ханут.This is more expensive than at the shop.
- הכי זול בשוק.хэхи зол ба-шук.The cheapest is at the market.
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
More expensive and cheaper: how does it work in Hebrew?
An adjective does not change for comparison. The word yoter (יותר), more, simply stands before it: yoter yakar — more expensive, yoter zol — cheaper. There is no other way to compare.
What does it look like in a Hebrew example sentence?
“הפירות בשוק יותר זולים.” (ха-пейрот ба-шук йотэр золим.) — The fruit at the market is cheaper. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.