More expensive, cheaper, better: the comparative
The rule looks familiar: an adjective takes -ejši or -ši and becomes 'more so'. star → starejši, nov → novejši, težek → težji. For example: “Na tržnici je ceneje kot v trgovini” — At the market it is cheaper than in the shop. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The rule looks familiar: an adjective takes -ejši or -ši and becomes 'more so'. star → starejši, nov → novejši, težek → težji.
People trip somewhere else. First, the most frequent words are irregular and have to be learned as a list: dober → boljši, velik → večji, majhen → manjši, drag → dražji. Second, poceni does not change at all — it is invariable, and 'cheaper' is a separate word, ceneje.
Third, the hook of the comparison. English 'than', Slovenian kot: Tržnica je ceneje kot trgovina. You can also drop kot and put the other item in the genitive: dražji od tega. Both are alive, but kot is shorter and wins in conversation.
The superlative is made with one prefix naj- glued onto the comparative: najboljši, najdražji, najceneje. No separate word for 'most' is needed.
Table
| adjective | comparative | superlative |
|---|---|---|
| drag — expensive | dražji | najdražji |
| poceni — cheap | cenejši / ceneje | najcenejši |
| dober — good | boljši | najboljši |
| velik — big | večji | največji |
| majhen — small | manjši | najmanjši |
| star — old | starejši | najstarejši |
| težek — heavy | težji | najtežji |
By example
- Na tržnici je ceneje kot v trgoviniAt the market it is cheaper than in the shop
- Ta kruh je svežjiThis bread is fresher
- To je najboljša kava v mestuThis is the best coffee in town
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, cheaper, better: how does it work in Slovenian?
The rule looks familiar: an adjective takes -ejši or -ši and becomes 'more so'. star → starejši, nov → novejši, težek → težji.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Na tržnici je ceneje kot v trgovini” — 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.