Language/Croatian/Grammar/Comparative-and-Superlative-Adjectives
Adjectives and adverbs are essential parts of speech in Croatian. They are used to describe and modify nouns and verbs to add more meaning and detail to sentences. In this lesson, we will focus on comparative and superlative adjectives, which are used to compare and contrast different things, people, or actions.
In Croatian, there are two types of comparative and superlative adjectives: the "short" forms and the "long" forms. The short forms are used for adjectives that have one or two syllables, while the long forms are used for adjectives with three or more syllables. Let's take a closer look at how to form and use each of these adjectives.
Short Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Short comparative adjectives are formed by adding -iji to the end of the base form of an adjective. For example:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| visok | VEES-ohk | tall |
| viši | VEE-shee | taller |
| najviši | NYE-VEE-shee | tallest |
As you can see, the comparative form of "visok" (tall) is "viši" (taller), and the superlative form is "najviši" (tallest).
Note that when forming comparative adjectives, the final consonant of the base form may change. For example:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| dobar | DOH-bahr | good |
| bolji | BOH-lyee | better |
| najbolji | NYE-BOH-lyee | best |
In this example, the final -r of "dobar" (good) changes to -l in the comparative form "bolji" (better), while the superlative form "najbolji" (best) retains the -l.
To form short superlative adjectives, we add the prefix naj- to the comparative form. For example:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| brz | brrz | fast |
| brži | brr-zhee | faster |
| najbrži | nye-brr-zhee | fastest |
The same rule applies when forming superlative adverbs:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| brzo | brr-zoh | quickly |
| brže | brr-zheh | more quickly |
| najbrže | nye-brr-zheh | most quickly |
In these examples, we see that the comparative form of "brz" (fast) is "brži" (faster), while the superlative form is "najbrži" (fastest). For the adverb "brzo" (quickly), the comparative form is "brže" (more quickly), and the superlative form is "najbrže" (most quickly).
It's important to note that when using short comparative and superlative adjectives, we must also adjust the endings of the noun they modify. This is known as "agreement" in grammar. For example:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| debel | DEH-bel | thick |
| deblji | DEH-blyee | thicker |
| najdeblji | nye-DEH-blyee | thickest |
In this example, the adjective "debel" (thick) changes to "deblji" (thicker) in its comparative form, while the appropriate noun ending in agreement would be -i. The superlative form would be "najdeblji" (thickest). The same agreement rule applies to adverbs.
Long Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Long comparative and superlative adjectives are formed by adding the words "više" (more) or "najviše" (most) before the base form of the adjective. For example:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| inteligentan | een-teh-LEE-gehn-tahn | intelligent |
| više inteligentan | VEE-sheh een-teh-LEE-gehn-tahn | more intelligent |
| najviše inteligentan | NYE-vee-sheh een-teh-LEE-gehn-tahn | most intelligent |
As you can see, the long comparative form of "inteligentan" (intelligent) is "više inteligentan" (more intelligent), and the superlative form is "najviše inteligentan" (most intelligent).
Again, it's important to note that when using the long form of comparative and superlative adjectives, we must adjust the endings of the noun in agreement. For example:
| Croatian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| sretan | SREH-tahn | happy |
| više sretan | VEE-sheh SREH-tahn | happier |
| najviše sretan | NYE-vee-sheh SREH-tahn | happiest |
In this example, the adjective "sretan" (happy) changes to "više sretan" (happier) in its comparative form, while the appropriate noun ending in agreement would be -i. The superlative form would be "najviše sretan" (happiest). The same rule applies to adverbs.
Comparing Unequal Quantities
When comparing unequal quantities in Croatian, we use the word "od" (than) to introduce the second item being compared. For example:
- Ivan je viši od Marka. (Ivan is taller than Mark.)
- Ova knjiga je deblja od one. (This book is thicker than that one.)
- Ta pjesma je lakša za pjevanje od ove. (That song is easier to sing than this one.)
Note that in each of these examples, we use the comparative form of the adjective to compare the two items, but we also use the word "od" to introduce the second item in the comparison. This is an important distinction to keep in mind when making comparisons in Croatian.
Practice
Let's practice forming comparative and superlative adjectives in Croatian. In each of the following examples, choose the appropriate form of the adjective to complete the sentence.
1. Ova knjiga je (zanimljiv) od one. 2. Taj film je (dosadan) od ovog. 3. On je (mali) od svih u razredu. 4. Ova torta je (ukusn) od one. 5. Anina kuća je (velik) od Markove.
Answers: 1. zanimljivija 2. dosadniji 3. najmanji 4. ukusnija 5. veća
Conclusion
In Croatian, comparative and superlative adjectives are important tools for describing and comparing different items, people, or actions. Understanding how to form and use each type of adjective is essential for developing strong language skills and effective communication. With consistent practice, you will become more comfortable using these adjectives in conversations and writing, and you will be able to express yourself more clearly and effectively in Croatian.