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Grammar

Comparing things

The comparative and superlative of adjectives and adverbs, with -іший and -ший, the consonant changes, the irregular forms such as кращий, the forms with більш and найбільш, and how to say "than" with ніж, за and від.

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After this page you will be able to say that something is bigger, cheaper or more interesting than something else, and that it is the biggest or the best. You will know how the comparative is formed, which consonants change, which common adjectives are irregular, and how to say than. You will also form the comparative and superlative of adverbs: faster, better, best.

Three degrees

An adjective that describes a quality that can be stronger or weaker, such as new, cheap or good, has three forms [src: pravopys-2026, §104]:

The three degrees
DegreeUkrainian termExampleEnglish
positive (the basic form)звича́йна фо́рманови́йnew
comparativeви́щий сту́піньнові́шийnewer
superlativeнайви́щий сту́піньнайнові́шийnewest

The comparative and the superlative are ordinary adjectives. They agree with the noun in gender, number and case, like нови́й [src: goroh-dictionary]: нові́ший буди́нок, нові́ша маши́на, нові́ше мі́сто, нові́ші кни́ги.

The comparative: -іший

Most adjectives add -іш- to the stem, then the adjective ending [src: pravopys-2026, §104]:

Comparatives in -іший
AdjectiveComparativeEnglish
нови́йнові́шийnewer
ціка́вийціка́вішийmore interesting
си́льнийсильні́шийstronger
те́плийтеплі́шийwarmer
си́нійсині́шийbluer
смачни́йсмачні́шийtastier

The stress often falls on the і of -іш-, but not always: ціка́віший keeps the stress of ціка́вий. Check each word in the dictionary [src: goroh-dictionary].

The comparative: -ший

Some adjectives add only -ш- [src: pravopys-2026, §104]. Notice that a final -к- or -ок- of the stem disappears: соло́дкий → соло́дший, широ́кий → ши́рший.

Comparatives in -ший
AdjectiveComparativeEnglish
деше́вийдеше́вшийcheaper
соло́дкийсоло́дшийsweeter
молоди́ймоло́дшийyounger
стари́йста́ршийolder
до́вгийдо́вшийlonger
легки́йле́гшийlighter, easier
широ́кийши́ршийwider
швидки́йшви́дшийfaster

Which adjectives take -ш- has to be learned word by word, so check the comparative in a dictionary [src: goroh-dictionary].

Consonant changes: жч and щ

When -ш- meets the consonants г, ж or з, they combine into жч. С with -ш- gives щ [src: pravopys-2026, §20, §104]:

Comparatives with жч and щ
AdjectiveComparativeEnglish
дороги́йдоро́жчийdearer, more expensive
ду́жийду́жчийstronger
вузьки́йву́жчийnarrower
низьки́йни́жчийlower
близьки́йбли́жчийnearer
важки́йва́жчийheavier, harder
висо́кийви́щийhigher, taller

Not every г changes: до́вгий → до́вший and легки́й → ле́гший [src: pravopys-2026, §20].

Irregular comparatives

Four very common adjectives have a comparative from a different stem [src: pravopys-2026, §104]:

Irregular comparatives
AdjectiveComparativeSuperlativeEnglish
вели́кийбі́льшийнайбі́льшийbig, bigger, biggest
мали́йме́ншийнайме́ншийsmall, smaller, smallest
га́рнийкра́щийнайкра́щийgood, better, best
пога́нийгі́ршийнайгі́ршийbad, worse, worst

Кра́щий is also the comparative of до́брий and хоро́ший (good) [src: goroh-dictionary]. So better is кра́щий, whichever word for good you start from.

More and less: більш, менш

The comparative can also be made with більш (more) or менш (less) and the basic form of the adjective: більш вда́лий (more successful), менш ціка́вий (less interesting). The orthography calls this way less common than the one-word form [src: pravopys-2026, §104].

Usage guides prefer the one-word form where there is one: ціка́віший rather than більш ціка́вий [src: goroh-usage]. For less, use менш: менш дороги́й (less expensive).

The superlative

най- + comparative

The superlative is the comparative with the prefix най- [src: pravopys-2026, §104]:

  • нові́ший → найнові́ший (newest)
  • деше́вший → найдеше́вший (cheapest)
  • бі́льший → найбі́льший (biggest)
  • кра́щий → найкра́щий (best)

The superlative

Ки́їв — найбі́льше мі́сто Украї́ни.
Kyiv is the biggest city in Ukraine.
мі́сто is neuter: найбі́льше.
Це найкра́щий борщ у мі́сті.
This is the best borshch in town.
Яка́ ву́лиця найдо́вша?
Which street is the longest?
Вона́ моя́ найкра́ща по́друга.
She is my best friend.

As with the comparative, there is a two-word form with найбі́льш or найме́нш: найбі́льш зручний (most convenient), найме́нш приє́мний (least pleasant). The orthography calls it less common [src: pravopys-2026, §104].

The very best: якнай-, щонай-

To make a superlative even stronger, add як- or що-, written as one word: якнайбі́льший (the biggest possible), якнайшви́дший (the fastest possible) [src: pravopys-2026, §104].

Saying “than”

There are several ways to say than. All of them are standard [src: goroh-usage]:

Ways of saying “than”
PatternExampleEnglish
за + accusativeБрат моло́дший за ме́не.My brother is younger than me.
від + genitiveБрат моло́дший від ме́не.My brother is younger than me.
ніж + the same caseБрат моло́дший, ніж я.My brother is younger than I am.

All three examples come from the same entry in the usage guides [src: goroh-usage]. Notes:

  • After за, the second thing is in the accusative. For most masculine and neuter nouns for things this looks like the nominative (for people it does not: за бра́та): Ки́їв бі́льший за Львів. Feminine nouns in -а change: Ки́їв бі́льший за Оде́су.
  • After від, it is in the genitive: Ки́їв бі́льший від Льво́ва.
  • After ніж, both things are in the same case. Ніж also works when the second part is not a noun: Сього́дні теплі́ше, ніж учо́ра. (It is warmer today than yesterday.) The word як is used in the same way: до́вші, ніж (як) пере́дні [src: goroh-usage].
  • The guides also give про́ти + genitive (розумні́ший про́ти бра́та, cleverer than his brother) [src: goroh-usage].

Comparing two things

Ця кни́га ціка́віша за фільм.
This book is more interesting than the film.
По́тяг деше́вший від літака́.
The train is cheaper than the plane.
від + genitive: літака́.
У Льво́ві доро́жче, ніж у нас.
It's more expensive in Lviv than where we live.
ніж compares two places, both with у.
Моя́ сестра́ ста́рша за ме́не на три роки.
My sister is three years older than me.
на + accusative: by how much.

Much, a little: набагато, трохи

To say much bigger or a bit bigger, put набага́то (much) or тро́хи (a little) before the comparative. The usage guides quote набага́то кра́ща, ніж на рівни́ні (much better than on the plain) [src: goroh-usage].

Much, a little

Тут набага́то теплі́ше.
It's much warmer here.
Цей рюкза́к тро́хи ле́гший.
This backpack is a bit lighter.

Adverbs: faster, better

Adverbs that come from adjectives also have a comparative and a superlative. The comparative adverb has the same form as the neuter of the comparative adjective, ending in -іше or -ше, with the same consonant changes [src: pravopys-2026, §20; goroh-dictionary]:

Comparative and superlative adverbs
AdverbComparativeSuperlativeEnglish
шви́дкошви́дшенайшви́дшеfast, faster, fastest
пі́знопізні́шенайпізні́шеlate, later, latest
ча́сточасті́шенайчасті́шеoften, more often, most often
до́вгодо́вшенайдо́вшеlong, longer, longest
високови́щенайви́щеhigh, higher, highest
до́брекра́щенайкра́щеwell, better, best
пога́ногі́ршенайгі́ршеbadly, worse, worst
бага́тобі́льшенайбі́льшеmuch, more, most
ма́ломе́ншенайме́ншеlittle, less, least

Adverbs in sentences

Говорі́ть, будь ла́ска, пові́льніше.
Please speak more slowly.
Formal or plural: говорі́ть is the ви form.
Я пла́ваю кра́ще, ніж бі́гаю.
I swim better than I run.
ніж compares two actions.
Найбі́льше я люблю́ ка́ву.
I like coffee most of all.
Прихо́дь якнайшви́дше!
Come as soon as you can!
Informal: ти.

Якнайбі́льше, якнайшви́дше and щонайкра́ще are written as one word [src: pravopys-2026, §41].

Common mistakes and limits

Common mistake

Са́мий for the superlative. Say найкра́ща по́друга, найви́щий, not са́ма кра́ща по́друга, са́мий висо́кий. The usage guides call the pattern with са́мий an error [src: goroh-usage].

Common mistake

Більш with a comparative. Use one or the other: важливіший or більш важли́вий, not більш важливіший [src: goroh-usage].

Common mistake

The genitive without a preposition. Say моло́дший від ме́не, моло́дший за ме́не or моло́дший, ніж я, not моло́дший мене́ [src: goroh-usage].

Common mistake

The comparative for the best. The best people is найкра́щі лю́ди, with най-; кра́щі лю́ди means better people [src: goroh-usage].

Remember

Learn the four irregular comparatives first: бі́льший, ме́нший, кра́щий, гі́рший. For any other adjective, check the comparative in the dictionary: it may take -іший or -ший, and the stress can move.

Note

Only adjectives for a quality that can vary have these forms [src: pravopys-2026, §104]. Words like дерев’я́ний (wooden) or украї́нський (Ukrainian) have no comparative.

Practice

Practice

Practice: comparison

Form the comparative and superlative of common adjectives and adverbs, and compare two things with за, від or ніж.

Practice

Practice: adverbs

Make adverbs from adjectives, choose the right word for place, direction and starting point, and spell common adverbs.

Practice

Reading (A2): A weekend in Lviv

Read a short story in the past tense about a weekend trip to Lviv and answer questions about it.

Practice

Reading grammar (A2): A weekend in Lviv

Practise the grammar of the text “A weekend in Lviv”: find words in the text by their tense or case, then use до + genitive, past-tense agreement, the instrumental for the way you go, ї́хати and the superlative.

Practice

Reading grammar (B1): Andriy Shevchenko

Practise the grammar of the Andriy Shevchenko text: find words in the text by their case or aspect, then use dates and years, age in the dative, займа́тися футбо́лом, the superlative and переї́хати.

Practice

Reading (B1): Ukraine on the map

Read a B1 text about the land and regions of Ukraine, answer questions about it, and practise grammar taken from it: на пі́вночі and на за́ході, із сімома́, чим да́лі … тим, and the superlative.

Practice

Reading grammar (B1): Ukraine on the map

Practise the grammar of the text “Ukraine on the map”: find words by their case or degree, then use the month in a date, the noun after a number, the instrumental after ста́ти, and чим … тим.

Grammar

The genitive case

The genitive singular and plural endings, how masculine nouns choose between -а and -у, and the main uses of the genitive, from "of" and quantities to нема́є and the prepositions без, для, до, з, від, біля, після and у.

Grammar

The accusative case

The accusative singular and plural endings, the rule for people and animals, verbs that take a direct object, the prepositions в/у, на, за, про and через, and days of the week.

Grammar

Numbers

The cardinal numbers, the form of the noun after 1, after 2 to 4 and after 5 and above, the case forms of один, два, три, чотири and п’ять, and numbers in prices and ages.

Grammar

Adverbs

How adverbs are made from adjectives, the по- forms such as по-українськи, words for place, direction, time and manner, and when an adverb is written as one word, with a hyphen or as two words.

Audio

The example sentences on this page are read by a computer-generated voice (OpenAI text-to-speech). The recordings are not individually checked by a listener, and a computer voice can occasionally stress or pronounce a word wrongly: the written sentence, with its stress marks, is the reference. It is not a recording of a native speaker. Nothing is downloaded until you press a listen button.

Sources

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