Bolje, not boljši: degree in the adverb and the čim + comparative pattern
You took apart the comparative of adjectives long ago: drag — dražji — najdražji. Adverbs have their own, and the two get mixed up constantly, because English happily says 'better' for both. For example: “Najboljši zdravnik v mestu, a najbolje je, da greš čim prej” — The best doctor in town, but the best thing is to go as soon as possible. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a…
How it works
You took apart the comparative of adjectives long ago: drag — dražji — najdražji. Adverbs have their own, and the two get mixed up constantly, because English happily says 'better' for both.
One rule: the adjective answers 'what kind', the adverb — 'how'. Ta film je boljši — this film is better (what kind?). Tako je bolje — this way is better (how?). Najboljši zdravnik — the best doctor, but Najbolje je, da počakaš — the best thing is to wait. Easy to confuse; the mistake is heard at once.
Four pairs by heart, because they are irregular: dobro → bolje → najbolje; slabo → slabše → najslabše; veliko → več → največ; malo → manj → najmanj. The other adverbs are regular: hitro → hitreje, pogosto → pogosteje, pozno → pozneje, daleč → dlje.
Long adverbs go through bolj: bolj natančno, najbolj pogosto, bolj razumljivo. It is the same way as with long adjectives, and you cannot go wrong with bolj — it is just that the short form sounds better.
Čim plus the comparative packs the whole English 'as … as possible': čim prej — as soon as possible, čim več — as much as possible, čim bolje — as well as possible, čim ceneje — as cheaply as possible. And the paired construction: Čim prej, tem bolje — the sooner, the better.
Three more phrases from this unit, all on the comparative: bolj ali manj — more or less, vse več — more and more (Vse več ljudi kolesari), vedno bolj — ever more. And the negation of degree: ne povsem — not quite, ne ravno — not exactly.
Table
| adverb | comparative | superlative | the adjective next to it |
|---|---|---|---|
| dobro | bolje | najbolje | dober — boljši — najboljši |
| slabo | slabše | najslabše | slab — slabši — najslabši |
| veliko | več | največ | velik — večji — največji |
| malo | manj | najmanj | majhen — manjši — najmanjši |
| hitro | hitreje | najhitreje | hiter — hitrejši — najhitrejši |
| pogosto | pogosteje | najpogosteje | pogost — pogostejši |
| natančno | bolj natančno | najbolj natančno | long ones go through bolj |
| čim + degree | čim prej | čim bolje | as soon as possible, as well as possible |
By example
- Najboljši zdravnik v mestu, a najbolje je, da greš čim prejThe best doctor in town, but the best thing is to go as soon as possible
- Delo je bolj ali manj končano, hitreje ne bo šloThe work is more or less done; it won’t go any faster
- Vse več ljudi hodi peš, ker je to bolje za zdravjeMore and more people walk, because it is better for your health
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
Bolje, not boljši: how does it work in Slovenian?
You took apart the comparative of adjectives long ago: drag — dražji — najdražji. Adverbs have their own, and the two get mixed up constantly, because English happily says 'better' for both.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Najboljši zdravnik v mestu, a najbolje je, da greš čim prej” — The best doctor in town, but the best thing is to go as soon as possible. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.