Dorozhe and samyy dorogoy: comparing and topping
The short comparative lives on -ee and -e: dorogoy — dorozhe, deshyovyy — deshevle, lyogkiy — legche. It is shorter and livelier; speech takes it. For example: “Эта квартира дороже, чем та” — This apartment is more expensive than that one. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The short comparative lives on -ee and -e: dorogoy — dorozhe, deshyovyy — deshevle, lyogkiy — legche. It is shorter and livelier; speech takes it.
The bookish form puts bolee next to the word: bolee dorogoy. The meaning is the same, the tone is drier — reports and news write that way.
The top is samyy plus the plain word: samyy dorogoy. Iz vsekh draws the circle: dorozhe vsekh, luchshiy iz vsekh. What you compare with is brought in by chem: dorozhe, chem vchera.
Table
| Plain | Comparative | Top |
|---|---|---|
| dorogoy | dorozhe | samyy dorogoy |
| deshyovyy | deshevle | samyy deshyovyy |
| lyogkiy | legche | samyy lyogkiy |
| slozhnyy | slozhnee | samyy slozhnyy |
| vysokiy | vyshe | samyy vysokiy |
| khoroshiy | luchshe | samyy luchshiy |
By example
- Эта квартира дороже, чем таEta kvartira dorozhe, chem taThis apartment is more expensive than that one
- Это самый дешёвый вариантEto samyy deshyovyy variantThis is the cheapest option
- Мой район зеленее всехMoy rayon zelenee vsekhMy district is the greenest of all
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 more expensive in Russian?
The bookish form puts bolee next to the word: bolee dorogoy. The meaning is the same, the tone is drier — reports and news write that way.
Samyy dorogoy: the top grade?
The top is samyy plus the plain word: samyy dorogoy. Iz vsekh draws the circle: dorozhe vsekh, luchshiy iz vsekh. What you compare with is brought in by chem: dorozhe, chem vchera.
Dorozhe vs bolee dorogoy?
The bookish form puts bolee next to the word: bolee dorogoy. The meaning is the same, the tone is drier — reports and news write that way.
The best of all in Russian?
The top is samyy plus the plain word: samyy dorogoy. Iz vsekh draws the circle: dorozhe vsekh, luchshiy iz vsekh. What you compare with is brought in by chem: dorozhe, chem vchera.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“Эта квартира дороже, чем та” (Eta kvartira dorozhe, chem ta) — This apartment is more expensive than that one. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.