повече/по-малко

More and Less

Level 2Sounds Like poveče/po-malko

To compare amounts, use повече (more) and по-малко (less, fewer): Искам повече време. (I want more time.) По-малко захар, моля. (Less sugar, please.)

How It Works

1. With nouns. Put them right before the noun, with no word for "of":

  • повече време (more time), повече книги (more books)
  • по-малко захар (less sugar), по-малко коли (fewer cars)

English has both "less" and "fewer", but Bulgarian uses по-малко for both.

2. With verbs. Трябва да спиш повече. (You need to sleep more.) Яж по-малко хляб. (Eat less bread.)

3. Comparing with от. The thing compared with follows от: Работя повече от теб. (I work more than you.) With a number, повече от means "more than": повече от тридесет души (more than thirty people). See comparing with от.

4. Повече is special. Every other comparative is built with по- (по-голям, по-малко), but the comparative of много is the separate word повече. There is no по-много. The superlatives are най-много (the most) and най-малко (the least).

5. Not for adjectives. To say "bigger" or "more interesting", add по- to the adjective itself: по-голям, по-интересен. Do not use повече with an adjective. По-малко can come before an adjective, meaning "less": по-малко интересен (less interesting).

6. "Anymore". In a negative sentence, повече can mean "anymore" or "again": Няма да закъснявам повече. (I won't be late anymore.)

Good to know: for "more" meaning an extra portion or one more, Bulgarian often says още: Още едно кафе, моля. (One more coffee, please.) See already, still and yet.

Examples (6)

  1. Искам повече време.

    I want more time.

  2. По-малко захар, моля.

    Less sugar, please.

  3. Работя повече от теб.

    I work more than you.

    The person compared with follows от.

  4. Днес в парка има по-малко хора.

    There are fewer people in the park today.

    По-малко covers both "less" and "fewer".

  5. На срещата дойдоха повече от тридесет души.

    More than thirty people came to the meeting.

    Повече от with a number means "more than".

  6. Няма да закъснявам повече.

    I won't be late anymore.

    In a negative sentence, повече can mean "anymore".

Common Mistakes

  • Building the comparative of много with по-.

    Искам по-много време.
    Искам повече време.

    The comparative of много is the separate word повече. По-много does not exist.

  • Using повече with an adjective.

    Този град е повече голям.
    Този град е по-голям.

    Adjectives form their comparative with по-: по-голям. Повече is for amounts.

  • Writing по-малко as two separate words when you mean "less".

    По малко захар, моля.
    По-малко захар, моля.

    The comparative по-малко takes a hyphen. Written separately, по малко means "a little each", which changes the meaning.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

повече/по-малкоLevel 2More and Less

Learn This First

More and less build on много and comparatives.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

повечепо