све + Comparative

Increasing Degree

Level 3Sounds Like sve + komparativ

Use све + comparative to describe a continuous, progressive shift along a scale—whether over time, across physical space, or in proportion to a condition. It corresponds to English 'more and more...', 'increasingly...', or '...-er and ...-er'.

How It Works

To express continuous escalation, gradual progression, or diminishing intensity along any scale, Serbian pairs the invariable intensifying particle све directly before a comparative form.

Key Properties:

  • Strict Invariability of све: Even though сав / сва / све / сви declines as an adjective/determiner when meaning 'all' or 'every', here све acts as an invariable degree particle. It never inflects to agree with gender, number, or case. Modifying a plural masculine noun? It remains све: све већи проблеми (never *сви већи...). Modifying a feminine accusative noun? It stays све: све већу пажњу (never *сву већу...).
  • Broad Scalar Progression: This pattern applies to any directional development along a scale, not just temporal progression ('over time'). It naturally describes:
    • Temporal progression: Време постаје све хладније (The weather is getting colder and colder).
    • Spatial progression: Ишли су све дубље у шуму (They went deeper and deeper into the forest).
    • Upward or downward scale: све бољи (better and better), све гори (worse and worse), све мање (less and less), све ређе (less and less often).
  • Modifying Verbs with Adverbs: To express that an action itself is happening more and more or less and less, pair све with comparative adverbs like више or мање before or after the verb:
    • све више + verb: Она све више учи за испит (She studies more and more for the exam).
    • све мање + verb: Милан све мање спава ових дана (Milan sleeps less and less these days).
  • Synthetic Comparatives Required: Serbian adjectives form synthetic comparatives using suffixes like -ји, -ији, or -ши. Do not calque English 'more and more beautiful' with *све више леп; use the synthetic comparative све лепши.
  • Distinction Between све and још: Do not confuse continuous progression (све + comparative = 'more and more', 'increasingly') with scalar addition (још + comparative = 'even / still more'):
    • све бољи = getting better and better over time or progression.
    • још бољи = an even better one (comparing a specific item or state to an already good benchmark).
  • Correlative Proportional Clauses: Све + comparative frequently appears in the second half of correlative structures like што ... то or што ... све...: Што смо ближе циљу, постаје све топлије (The closer we get to the goal, the warmer it gets).
  • Word Order and Emphatic Duplication: Све directly precedes the comparative. While све + comparative is the standard concise form, reduplication such as све више и више or све бољи и бољи is an established stylistic device used for heightened rhetorical emphasis.

Examples (5)

  1. Његов српски је из дана у дан све бољи.

    His Serbian is getting better and better by the day.

    Word by Word: His Serbian is from day into day ever better.

    Shows 'све' modifying the masculine nominative comparative adjective 'бољи' to describe steady, positive improvement.

  2. Цене некретнина постају све више.

    Real estate prices are becoming increasingly high.

    Word by Word: Prices of-real-estate become ever higher.

    'Све' directly precedes the feminine plural comparative 'више'.

  3. У последње време све чешће размишљам о повратку.

    Lately, I have been thinking more and more often about returning.

    Word by Word: In last time ever more-often I-think about return.

    Demonstrates 'све' modifying the comparative adverb 'чешће' (more often) to describe a habit of increasing frequency.

  4. Имамо све мање времена за одмор.

    We have less and less time for rest.

    Word by Word: We-have ever less time for rest.

    Shows that 'све' works downward as well, pairing with the comparative 'мање' to signify a diminishing quantity.

  5. Суочавамо се са све већим трошковима.

    We are facing increasingly larger expenses.

    Word by Word: We-face self with ever larger expenses.

    Illustrates invariable 'све': even though the noun phrase is instrumental plural ('већим трошковима'), 'све' does not decline.

Common Mistakes

  • 'Свим већим трошковима' is correct, but it means 'all the bigger costs', not 'ever-bigger'.

    Different MeaningСуочавамо се са свим већим трошковима.
    Суочавамо се са све већим трошковима.

    The inflected 'свим' is the word for 'all', so this means facing all the larger costs. For 'more and more', 'све' stays frozen and does not change: 'са све већим трошковима'.

  • Using an analytic 'све више + positive adjective' instead of the synthetic comparative.

    Кућа постаје све више лепа.
    Кућа постаје све лепша.

    Except for specific non-gradable or relational adjectives, Serbian forms comparatives synthetically (e.g., леп -> лепши). Combine 'све' with the comparative form directly.

  • Placing 'све' after the comparative or separating them.

    Трчим брже све сваког дана.
    Трчим све брже сваког дана.

    The intensifier 'све' must immediately precede the comparative word it modifies.

How It Connects

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

све + ComparativeLevel 3Increasing Degree

Learn This First

To express gradual change with 'све + компаратив' (e.g., 'све боље' - increasingly better), learners must first know how to form and recognize both regular and irregular comparative adjectives and adverbs.

Words in This Pattern

све