по- + Adjective or Adverb

Comparatives with По-

Level 2Sounds Like sravnitelna stepen po

To say bigger, nicer or faster, put по- with a hyphen in front of the word: голям → по-голям, бързо → по-бързо.

How It Works

1. How to form it. Add по- with a hyphen:

  • adjectives: голям → по-голям (bigger), хубав → по-хубав (nicer), интересен → по-интересен (more interesting)
  • adverbs: бързо → по-бързо (faster), добре → по-добре (better), рано → по-рано (earlier)

Bulgarian has no separate short and long forms like English -er and more. Every word takes по-.

2. Agreement and the article. The adjective part agrees with the noun: по-голям град, по-голяма къща, по-голямо село, по-големи градове. It can take the article: Искам по-голямата чаша. (I want the bigger cup.)

3. Adjective or adverb? Describe a noun with the adjective and an action with the adverb: Тази кола е по-бърза. (This car is faster.) but Кара по-бързо. (He drives faster.) Likewise по-добър (a better one) and по-добре (in a better way).

4. The exception. Много becomes повече (more). Its opposite малко is regular: по-малко (less). See повече and по-малко.

5. Than and much. The thing compared with follows от: по-висок от брат си (taller than his brother); see comparing with от. Много по- means much more, още по- means even more, and все по- means more and more: Става все по-студено. (It is getting colder and colder.)

Examples (6)

  1. Днес е по-топло.

    It is warmer today.

  2. Говорете по-бавно, моля.

    Please speak more slowly.

  3. Искам по-голямата чаша.

    I want the bigger cup.

    The comparative adjective can take the article.

  4. Новата кола е много по-бърза.

    The new car is much faster.

  5. Този град е по-голям от моя.

    This city is bigger than mine.

  6. Става все по-студено.

    It is getting colder and colder.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding по- to много.

    Искам по-много време.
    Искам повече време.

    Много has its own comparative: повече (more).

  • Using като for than.

    Той е по-висок като мен.
    Той е по-висок от мен.

    After a comparative, than is от. Като means like or as.

  • Using the adjective to describe an action.

    Говориш български по-добър от мен.
    Говориш български по-добре от мен.

    Speaking is an action, so use the adverb по-добре (better), not the adjective по-добър.

How It Connects

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

по- + Adjective or AdverbLevel 2Comparatives with По-

Learn This First

Comparatives with по- need adjective forms.

Words in This Pattern

попо