Understanding the Comparative Degree of Adjectives in Ukrainian
In the Ukrainian language, adjectives can change to show that something has more or less of a quality than something else. This is called the comparative degree. It's like saying 'bigger' or 'smaller' in English.
Important Points
- For many adjectives, add the ending '-ший' or '-ша' to form the comparative.
- Sometimes, you can add the word 'більш' (more) before the adjective.
- For adjectives that end in '-ий', you often change it to '-іший'.
- Some adjectives have irregular forms and need to be memorized.
Examples
- великий -> більший (big -> bigger)
- гарний -> гарніший (beautiful -> more beautiful)
- важливий -> більш важливий (important -> more important)
Let's look at some examples. If you have the adjective 'великий' (big), and you want to say something is bigger, you change it to 'більший'. If you are describing something that is more beautiful, you change 'гарний' to 'гарніший'. Sometimes, instead of changing the word, you can add 'більш' in front of it, like 'більш важливий' for 'more important.'
Examples
- добрий -> кращий (good -> better)
- поганий -> гірший (bad -> worse)
- старий -> старший (old -> older)
It's important to practice these patterns and remember the exceptions. With time, you'll be able to describe things more accurately and make comparisons in Ukrainian like a pro!