Comparative -esnis
Comparative Adjectives
To say bigger or more beautiful, swap the adjective ending for -esnis (masculine) or -esnė (feminine): geras → geresnis, graži → gražesnė.
How It Works
Building the form
Take off the adjective ending and add -esnis for a masculine noun or -esnė for a feminine one.
- geras, gera → geresnis, geresnė (better)
- gražus, graži → gražesnis, gražesnė (more beautiful)
- šiltas, šilta → šiltesnis, šiltesnė (warmer)
- žalias, žalia → žalesnis, žalesnė (greener)
- didelis, didelė → didesnis, didesnė (bigger), from the short stem did-
An ordinary adjective does not use a separate word for more: say gražesnis, not daugiau gražus. With participles, a common way to compare is labiau (more): labiau pavargęs (more tired).
Agreement
The comparative is an ordinary adjective. The masculine forms change like didelis (geresnis, geresnio, geresniam, geresnį), and the feminine like -ė words (geresnė, geresnės, geresnei, geresnę). The plurals are geresni and geresnės. See Adjective Agreement and Adjective Case Agreement.
Useful partners
- daug (much): daug geresnis (much better)
- dar (even): dar brangesnis (even more expensive)
- negu, nei or už (than): Kaunas mažesnis už Vilnių. See Than: Negu, Nei and Už.
With no noun
For a general state, as in It is warmer today, Lithuanian uses the form in -iau: Šiandien šilčiau. The same form works as an adverb. See Comparing Adverbs.
Examples (6)
- Šis butas didesnis, bet ir brangesnis.
This apartment is bigger, but also more expensive.
Word by Word: This apartment bigger, but also more-expensive.
Both adjectives agree with the masculine noun butas.
- Mano sesuo jaunesnė už mane.
My sister is younger than me.
Word by Word: My sister younger than me.
sesuo is feminine, so the ending is -esnė.
- Ar turite pigesnį kambarį?
Do you have a cheaper room?
Word by Word: Q (you) have cheaper room?
pigesnis becomes pigesnį, the accusative, to match kambarį.
- Šiandien oras daug geresnis negu vakar.
The weather is much better today than yesterday.
Word by Word: Today weather much better than yesterday.
daug before a comparative means much.
- Man reikia didesnių batų.
I need bigger shoes.
Word by Word: To-me is-needed of-bigger shoes.
After reikia, the comparative follows batų into the genitive plural: didesnių.
- Eikime šituo keliu, jis trumpesnis.
Let us go this way, it is shorter.
Word by Word: Let-us-go this road, it shorter.
trumpas becomes trumpesnis.
Common Mistakes
Building the comparative with daugiau, like English more.
Ši suknelė daugiau graži.Ši suknelė gražesnė.When an adjective has its own -esnis/-esnė form, use it. Daugiau means more of an amount, as in daugiau laiko (more time).
Keeping the long stem of didelis.
Mūsų namas didelesnis.Mūsų namas didesnis.Didelis builds its comparative from the short stem did-: didesnis, didesnė.
Forgetting feminine agreement.
Mano sesuo vyresnis už mane.Mano sesuo vyresnė už mane.The comparative agrees with its noun. Sesuo is feminine, so the ending is -esnė.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Comparative adjectives express a greater degree and retain agreement.
Related Patterns
- Superlative -iausiasSuperlative Adjectives
The next step up: -iausias means most.
Level 3 - Comparison: negu / nei / užThan: Negu, Nei and Už
How to say than after a comparative.
Level 3 - Adjective Agreement
The comparative agrees with its noun like any adjective.
Level 1 - Comparing Adverbs
The -iau forms compare actions and general states.
Level 3 - vis + comparativeMore and More with Vis
Vis with a comparative means more and more.
Level 4 - kuo + comparativeAs ... as Possible with Kuo
Kuo with a comparative means as ... as possible.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Comparative -esnis in Bubblegum
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