Comparatives IV - Compound comparatives

In other videos we've covered how to say "This car is newer" but to say "I need a newer car" - where the comparative comes before the noun - we'll need a different construction: the compound comparative. In some ways it's much easier, as you we don't need to worry about changes in stress or the stem!

[@islandrose331]

These videos are amazing. Thank you very much

[@OscarTartalo]

I like your video very much. Thank you!

[@senyojustice]

Please I like your videos very much and i need more of your videos )))

[@jopo2122]

this may sound like a dumb question, but may i ask why you put 'ha' @2:14 ? could you have removed it and the meaning would still be "we answered more interesting questions"? or is the 'ha' a must have here? accusative?

[@russiangrammar]

Not dumb at all, your question brings up an important point: Many verbs need to be used with a certain preposition (kind of like English 'to rely on,' 'to hope for')... but the Russian may be different from the English equivalent. Отвечать/ответить is used with на + accusative for the sense of 'answering a question'; but to answer a person is отвечать/ответить + dative (no preposition). Она мне не ответила. Она никогда не отвечает на мои вопросы! = She didn't answer me. She never answers my questions! Many books will list this information as отвечать/ответить (кому? на что?) - it's a great habit to learn that information in parentheses, so you can use the word correctly! :)

[@seanyboyblu]

what about compound comparatives with irregulars? for example, “i need a lighter phone”, would it be «мне нужен легче телефон» or «мне нужен более лёгкий телефон» ?

[@russiangrammar]

Более лёгкий телефон. :)

[@seanyboyblu]

@@russiangrammar okay cool. and by that logic, “i need a better phone” would be «мне нужен более хороший телефон» instead of «мне нужен лучше телефон « since it’s a compound comparative, right?

[@russiangrammar]

Actually there's a handful of simple comparatives that are used in the attributive sense, but without более: лучший 'better,' худший 'worse,' 'бо́льший' (note the stress!) 'bigger,' меньший 'smaller,' старший 'elder,' младший 'junior/younger.' У него худший телефон, надо купить лучший смартфон. = He has a worse phone, needs to buy a better smartphone. Им нужна бо́льшая квартира. = They need a bigger apartment.

[@seanyboyblu]

@@russiangrammar ah i see, i thought худший and лучший meant worst and best

[@russiangrammar]

@@seanyboyblu They do! They can mean either depending on context. Or you can emphasize the superlative sense with самый лучший, самый худший. There are also superlatives with наи-: наилучший, наихудший, but those are somewhat more formal.

[@isjawu]

I understand that "она читает интереснее книгу" is not possible. Now my exercise book wants me to build sentences like the second following, given the first: он читает интересную книгу она читает книгу ещё интереснее How does this sound to your trained ears? I find it a little strange because also with different word order it is still no sentence with "is" or "are". Or does this translate as "She reads a book which is (even) more interesting"? But for "which" there should be a form of "который" in Russian, shouldn't it?

[@russiangrammar]

I think it sounds a little less formal, more colloquial. When the comparative comes before the noun you should use the form with более; but Nicholas Brown (New Penguin Russian Course) points out that some avoid this construction in everyday speech, so instead of Нужны более дешёвые билеты, you'll also hear Нужны билеты подешевле. Adding по- is very common. Your translation is fine - it's as if который is implied in this specific usage.

[@mienoolennfhouskka4697]

Более интересную = поинтереснее Более новую = поновее

[@russiangrammar]

Yes, in less formal styles the short forms can be used like this: Покажите нам комнату подешевле 'Show us a less expensive room.' In this usage I think it normally comes after the noun; the forms with более come before the noun.

[@mienoolennfhouskka4697]

Thanks for answer 😇

[@mienoolennfhouskka4697]

I would like to watch a video lesson about Russian slang, the reduction of words in a conversation, because it is very important for a real conversation.

[@russiangrammar]

Here's a video about how numbers are pronounced in quick speech: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5rIh5aed6ppis0 I may do more on pronunciation like this if there's interest. I'm reluctant to do lessons on slang because I haven't been in Russia for several years, and slang tends to change quickly (I don't always follow my own kids' slang!). Best to watch youtubers who are young native speakers for that. :)

[@mienoolennfhouskka4697]

Thank you kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmTYi2qXlNKZeM0 I talked about this

[@NoahSteckley]

1. Слова Меньше и Больше выражают ли ту же самую идею, как и менее и более? 2. Слово "более", когда говоря о вещи, потребует изпользование родительного падежа? Короче, "Нам не нужно больше детей" I feel as though it is больше that takes the form of some sort of pseudo-noun, to which дети becomes attributed? Or have I just imagined this sentence and it is wrong. I've never been able to pin down a specific example of this use of больше. If this case is real, is детей actually in the partitive? "Нам нужно больше свету/света?" or just "Нам нужен больше свет." 3. What the heck is the rule for prefixing по behind comparatives? I feel as though it has to do with adverbial comparatives vs adjectival, but I'm not sure.

[@Key2Russian]

Some examples may be helpful: Нам не нужно больше детей - We no longer need children. (either we’re pleased with what we have OR, if we had planned to have them, now we’ve changed our minds - because we split up) Нам не нужно более детей - sounds rural Нам не нужно более 2-x детей - We don’t need more than 2 children (больше fits too) Комната может вместить не более 10 детей - The room can accommodate not more than 10 children. (больше fits too) У них более / больше 10-ти детей - They have more than 6 children. Нам нужно больше света - correct

[@russiangrammar]

1. 'Меньше' и 'больше' относятся к количеству (quantity); менее и более относятся к степени (degree) (с прилагательными). Some tips: -более doesn't require any particular case: Более умные студенты (nominative) изучают русский язык. Я работаю с более умными студентами (instrumental after с meaning 'together with'). -более (like менее) specifies the degree with an adjective: более холодная вода = colder water (больше would not work here) -больше is the irregular comparative of много: больше холодной воды = more cold water, больше друзей = more friends. Requires genitive. -меньше is the irregular comparative of мало: меньше холодной воды = less cold water, меньше друзей = fewer friends. Requires genitive. -больше and меньше are also comparatives of большой and маленький: Их квартира больше, но комнаты меньше. 'Their apartment is bigger, but the rooms are smaller.' -I wouldn't worry about the partitive too much, it's fading from the language (except perhaps for a few words like надоду, чаю) -As Key2Russian points out (спасибо ему/ей!), when you mention a specific number or measurement, более and больше are both possible. -There are some other subtleties for other contexts... google 'больше или более' and you'll find many links where a native speaker asks other native speakers about proper usage!

[@russiangrammar]

Oops - that should of course be больше НАРОДУ (not надоду).

[@harry_page]

@@russiangrammar I noticed that your example using больше и меньше as the comparatives of большой и маленький was a predicative adjective use - их квартира больше, но комнаты меньше. If you wanted to use them attributively, could you use a compound comparative form like this? - Я перееду на более большую квартиру - or is there a more natural way of expressing bigger and smaller as attributive adjectives?

[@russiangrammar]

There are special forms for attributive use: бо́льший (note stress! больша́я квартира = big apartment, бо́льшая квартира = bigger apartment) and меньший. Your question reminded me I'd been working on a video on this - you can now find it at kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYbFZYiDm5xqeJY. Спасибо!