лучше/хуже/больше/меньше

Irregular Comparatives

Level 2Sounds Like lučše/huže/bolʹše/menʹše

Russian uses special irregular forms for four very common words: лучше (better), хуже (worse), больше (bigger/more), and меньше (smaller/less).

How It Works

In Russian, many adjectives form comparatives by adding -ее, while others use -е with a consonant change. However, the four most common qualities use completely different roots (suppletion):

  • лучше (better) ← хороший / хорошо
  • хуже (worse) ← плохой / плохо
  • больше (bigger/more) ← большой / много
  • меньше (smaller/less) ← маленький / мало

Key Usage Rules:
1. Dual Role: These words describe both how something is done (adverb) and what something is like (adjective). For example, 'Он поёт лучше' (He sings better) and 'Этот чай лучше' (This tea is better).
2. Comparison Structures: To compare two things, you can use the particle чем or the genitive case. Note: The genitive case is only possible if the first item is in the Nominative or Accusative. If the first item is in the Dative, Prepositional, or Instrumental, you must use 'чем'.
3. Quantity vs. Size: больше and меньше are used for both physical size (bigger/smaller) and quantity (more/less). Do not confuse больше with более; while более can be used independently in formal contexts (like 'более часа'), its primary role for learners is forming compound comparatives with other adjectives.
4. The 'по-' Prefix: In everyday speech, you can add the prefix по- (e.g., получше, побольше) to mean 'a little bit more' or to soften a request (e.g., 'Дайте мне порцию побольше' - Give me a slightly larger portion).
5. No Copula: In the present tense, Russian does not use a word for 'is/are' (e.g., 'Этот дом больше' = This house [is] bigger).

Examples (5)

  1. Этот вариант лучше, чем тот.

    This option is better than that one.

    Word by Word: This option better, than that.

    Here 'лучше' acts as a predicate adjective describing the noun 'вариант'.

  2. Мой брат читает больше меня.

    My brother reads more than I do.

    Word by Word: My brother reads more [than] me.

    This uses 'больше' as an adverb with the genitive of comparison (меня).

  3. Сегодня на улице меньше людей.

    There are fewer people on the street today.

    Word by Word: Today on street fewer [of] people.

    In this context, 'меньше' refers to quantity (fewer) rather than physical size.

  4. Твоя работа хуже моей.

    Your work is worse than mine.

    Word by Word: Your work worse [than] mine.

    The irregular form 'хуже' is used to compare the quality of two things.

  5. Эта комната больше, но та уютнее.

    This room is bigger, but that one is cozier.

    Word by Word: This room bigger, but that cozier.

    This compares 'больше' (irregular) with 'уютнее' (a regular comparative ending in -ее).

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'более' with irregular comparatives (Double Comparative).

    Этот фильм более лучше.
    Этот фильм лучше.

    You cannot combine the word 'более' (more) with a simple comparative like 'лучше'. While 'более' is used to form compound comparatives with other adjectives (e.g., 'более интересный') or to express quantity in formal contexts (e.g., 'более часа'), it should never be paired with these four irregular forms, as they already express the comparative degree.

  • Trying to decline the simple comparative form.

    Она лучшая меня.
    Она лучше меня.

    Simple comparatives like 'лучше' are indeclinable. 'Лучшая' is a superlative form ('the best') and cannot be used for a direct 'better than' comparison in this way.

  • Using the genitive case for comparison when the first item is not in the nominative or accusative.

    Я доверяю брату больше сестры.
    Я доверяю брату больше, чем сестре.

    The genitive case for comparison is only used when the first item is in the nominative or accusative. If the first item is in another case (like the dative 'брату'), you must use 'чем' followed by the same case for the second item.

How It Connects

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

лучше/хуже/больше/меньшеLevel 2Irregular Comparatives

Learn This First

To understand irregular comparatives like 'лучше' and 'хуже', learners should already be familiar with how adjectives function as predicates in Russian and the basic concept of comparison. Knowledge of the nominative case is essential for identifying the subject being compared.

Words in This Pattern

хорошийплохойбольшоймаленький