Deshevle, dorozhe, luchshe: the comparative
To compare two things, the adjective changes its tail: -ee or -ey. deshyovyy → deshevle, bystryy → bystree, svezhiy → svezhee. For example: “На рынке дешевле, чем в магазине” — At the market it is cheaper than in the shop. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
To compare two things, the adjective changes its tail: -ee or -ey. deshyovyy → deshevle, bystryy → bystree, svezhiy → svezhee.
Frequent words bend out of shape: dorogoy → dorozhe, glubokiy → glubzhe, tonkiy → tonshe. There are few of them, and they are worth a list. khoroshiy → luchshe and plokhoy → khuzhe are the odd ones out, as in many languages.
The comparison hooks on chem: Na rynke deshevle, chem v magazine — what you compare against follows chem.
Long adjectives skip the new tail: bolee udobnyy, menee interesnyy. It sounds bookish; speech prefers the short form.
Table
| Plain | Comparative | Top grade |
|---|---|---|
| deshyovyy | deshevle | samyy deshyovyy |
| dorogoy | dorozhe | samyy dorogoy |
| bystryy | bystree | samyy bystryy |
| tonkiy | tonshe | samyy tonkiy |
| glubokiy | glubzhe | samyy glubokiy |
| khoroshiy | luchshe | samyy luchshiy |
| plokhoy | khuzhe | samyy plokhoy |
By example
- На рынке дешевле, чем в магазинеNa rynke deshevle, chem v magazineAt the market it is cheaper than in the shop
- Этот хлеб свежееEtot khleb svezheeThis bread is fresher
- Аренда дороже, чем ремонтArenda dorozhe, chem remontThe rent costs more than the repairs
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
How to say cheaper in Russian?
To compare two things, the adjective changes its tail: -ee or -ey. deshyovyy → deshevle, bystryy → bystree, svezhiy → svezhee.
Why dorozhe and not bolee dorogoy?
Frequent words bend out of shape: dorogoy → dorozhe, glubokiy → glubzhe, tonkiy → tonshe. There are few of them, and they are worth a list. khoroshiy → luchshe and plokhoy → khuzhe are the odd ones out, as in many languages.
Chem in Russian comparisons?
The comparison hooks on chem: Na rynke deshevle, chem v magazine — what you compare against follows chem.
How to say better in Russian?
To compare two things, the adjective changes its tail: -ee or -ey. deshyovyy → deshevle, bystryy → bystree, svezhiy → svezhee.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“На рынке дешевле, чем в магазине” (Na rynke deshevle, chem v magazine) — At the market it is cheaper than in the shop. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.