по- / нај-

Comparing Things

Level 2Sounds Like po-; naǰ

To compare, add по- for more and нај- for most: голем → поголем → најголем (big, bigger, biggest).

How It Works

Macedonian compares with two prefixes, never with extra endings:

  • по- — more: брз → побрз (faster), убав → поубав (nicer), млад → помлад (younger)
  • нај- — most: брз → најбрз (fastest), убав → најубав (nicest)

Even добар (good) is regular: подобар, најдобар. The same prefixes go on adverbs: добро → подобро → најдобро, бавно → побавно (see прилози од придавки: брзо; добро). You will also meet them in everyday time words: порано (earlier), подоцна (later).

Spelling: the prefix and the word are always written together: поголем, not по голем.

Agreement and the article: the word keeps all its usual endings (see придавки: нов; нова; ново; нови): поголем град, поголема куќа, поголемо село, поголеми градови. To say the biggest, add the article as usual (see член кај придавки: новиот; новата): најголемиот град, највисоката планина.

How much more: многу before a comparative means much: многу подобро (much better). Многу itself has a special comparative, повеќе (more), explained in многу; повеќе; најмногу.

To say than, see од; отколку во споредба. For better and better, see сѐ + компаратив.

Examples (6)

  1. Мојот брат е помлад од мене.

    My brother is younger than me.

    Word by Word: My-the brother is more-young from me.

  2. Денес е потопло.

    It is warmer today.

    Word by Word: Today is more-warm.

  3. Ова е најдобриот ресторан во градот.

    This is the best restaurant in town.

    Word by Word: This is most-good-the restaurant in the-city.

    The article -иот goes on the superlative, the first word of the phrase.

  4. Која е највисоката планина во Македонија?

    Which is the highest mountain in Macedonia?

    Word by Word: Which is most-high-the mountain in Macedonia?

  5. Зборувај погласно, те молам.

    Speak louder, please.

    Word by Word: Speak more-loudly, you I-ask.

  6. Сега е многу подобро.

    It is much better now.

    Word by Word: Now is much more-well.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing по- or нај- as a separate word.

    Оваа соба е по голема.
    Оваа соба е поголема.

    Macedonian spelling writes the prefix and the adjective as one word: поголема, најголема.

  • Building the comparative with повеќе, as in English more.

    Оваа книга е повеќе интересна.
    Оваа книга е поинтересна.

    Adjectives take the prefix по-. Повеќе is the comparative of многу and means more in amount.

How It Connects

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

по- / нај-Level 2Comparing Things

Learn This First

Comparison needs adjectives.

Words in This Pattern

по-нај-