Understanding Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Srpski (Latinica)
In the Serbian language, adjectives are used to describe nouns. When we want to compare things, we use comparative and superlative adjectives. Comparatives are used to show differences between two things, while superlatives show the highest degree among three or more things.
Forming Comparative Adjectives
To make a comparative adjective in Serbian, we usually add the suffix '-iji' or '-ji' to the adjective. This is similar to adding '-er' in English.
Examples
- lep (beautiful) becomes lepši (more beautiful)
- brz (fast) becomes brži (faster)
- visok (tall) becomes viši (taller)
Forming Superlative Adjectives
To form a superlative adjective, we add the prefix 'naj-' to the comparative form of the adjective. This is like adding 'most' in English.
Examples
- lepši (more beautiful) becomes najlepši (most beautiful)
- brži (faster) becomes najbrži (fastest)
- viši (taller) becomes najviši (tallest)
Irregular Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Just like in English, some adjectives in Serbian have irregular forms for comparatives and superlatives. These don't follow the usual rules.
Examples
- dobar (good) becomes bolji (better) and najbolji (best)
- loš (bad) becomes gori (worse) and najgori (worst)
- mali (small) becomes manji (smaller) and najmanji (smallest)
Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives in Sentences
Important Points
- Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things.
- Superlative adjectives are used to show the highest degree among three or more things.
- Remember to match the adjective with the gender and number of the noun it describes.
Examples
- Ana je lepša od Milene. (Ana is more beautiful than Milena.)
- Marko je najbrži u razredu. (Marko is the fastest in the class.)
- Ovo je najlepši cvet u vrtu. (This is the most beautiful flower in the garden.)