най- + Adjective or Adverb

Superlatives with Най-

Level 2Sounds Like prevʺzhodna stepen naj

To say the biggest, the best or the most beautiful, put най- in front of the adjective or adverb: голям → най-голям, добре → най-добре.

How It Works

1. How to form it. Take any adjective or adverb that can compare and add най- with a hyphen. It works exactly like the comparative with по-:

  • хубав → по-хубав → най-хубав (nice, nicer, nicest)
  • бързо → по-бързо → най-бързо (fast, faster, fastest)
  • добър → по-добър → най-добър (good, better, best). Even добър is regular here.

One common word is different: много gives повече (more) and най-много (most). Its opposite малко is regular: по-малко (less), най-малко (least).

2. Agreement and the article. The adjective part agrees like any adjective (see adjective agreement). When the superlative stands before a noun and picks out one thing, it carries the article, because it comes first in the phrase (see articles on adjectives):

  • най-големият град (the biggest city)
  • най-хубавата улица (the nicest street)
  • най-новото кафене (the newest café)
  • най-добрите приятели (the best friends)

Watch the я → е change in голям → най-големи, най-големият (see the я-е alternation).

3. Without a noun. After съм the superlative can stand alone, with or without the article: Кой е най-висок? (Who is the tallest?) and Той е най-високият. (He is the tallest one.)

4. The group. Name the group with в, от or на: най-добрият ученик в класа (the best student in the class), най-хубаво от всички (the best of all).

Examples (6)

  1. Мусала е най-високият връх на Балканския полуостров.

    Musala is the highest peak in the Balkan Peninsula.

    After е, the masculine superlative takes the full article -ят.

  2. Коя е най-хубавата песен на групата?

    Which is the band's best song?

  3. Най-добре е да тръгнем рано.

    It is best to set off early.

  4. Тя пее най-хубаво от всички.

    She sings the best of all.

    With an adverb, най- works the same way: най-хубаво.

  5. Най-много обичам лятото.

    I love summer most of all.

  6. Това са най-добрите ми приятели.

    These are my best friends.

Common Mistakes

  • Building the superlative with най-много, like English most.

    Тя е най-много красива.
    Тя е най-красива.

    Bulgarian adds най- straight to the adjective. Най-много means most as an amount, as in Най-много обичам лятото.

  • Writing най as a separate word.

    Това е най големият град.
    Това е най-големият град.

    With adjectives and adverbs, най- is always joined with a hyphen.

How It Connects

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

най- + Adjective or AdverbLevel 2Superlatives with Най-

Learn This First

Superlatives need comparatives and articles on adjectives.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

най