Comparative and superlative of adverbs

You already know how to say that one player is faster than another (brži) and how to turn an adjective into an adverb (brzo — quickly). This lesson puts the two together: how to say that someone runs faster, swims more slowly, or trains most often. English does this two ways (faster, but more quickly). Serbian has only one way, and it is the one you already half-know.

The comparative of an adverb is the comparative adjective in its neuter form

An adverb of manner is the neuter form of the adjective (brz → brzo). Its comparative works the same way: take the comparative adjective you learnt in lesson 14 and use its neuter form, the one ending in -e. brži (faster, describing a person) becomes brže (faster, describing how someone runs). Because it is an adverb, it never changes: whoever runs, they run brže.

The endings are exactly the ones you know from adjectives: -ije where the adjective takes -iji (sporije, ranije, kasnije), and the softened stem plus -e where the adjective takes -ji (brže, lakše, teže, češće, duže). If you know the comparative adjective, you know the comparative adverb — just say it in the neuter.

The superlative: naj- in front, as with adjectives

The superlative is the comparative with naj- glued to the front, written as one word: najbrže, najčešće, najranije. It is still an adverb, so it has one form only. To say of all or in the team, add od svih or u ekipi after it: Ona pliva najbrže od svih — She swims fastest of all.

The irregular ones — the words you will use most

A handful of the commonest adverbs have comparatives that look nothing like their base form. They are the same irregulars you met with adjectives (dobar → bolji), again in the neuter. Learn these as items; you will hear them every day.

više and manje are the ones you will reach for constantly: Treniram više nego prošle godine — I train more than last year; Sada plivam manje — I swim less now. radije says what you would rather do: Radije igram tenis — I'd rather play tennis. And najviše is how you say most of all: Najviše volim košarku — I like basketball most of all.

Than: od and nego, exactly as before

The second half of the comparison is built the same way as with adjectives (lesson 16). od plus the genitive when you compare with a person or thing: Trči brže od mene — He runs faster than me. nego plus the same form as the first item, and always when what follows is a verb or a whole clause: Igra bolje nego ja; Skačem dalje nego pre — I jump further than before.

Three small words that go in front of a comparative

• sve + comparative = more and more: Sve češće idem na bazen — I go to the pool more and more often.
• još + comparative = even: On trči još ranije — He runs even earlier.
• što + comparative = as ... as possible: Trči što brže možeš! — Run as fast as you can!

Do not translate English more quickly word for word. Serbian never puts više in front of an adverb to compare it: više brzo does not exist. The adverb itself changes — brže. Keep više for more on its own (treniram više), and remember it is also the comparative of visoko (skače više — jumps higher), so context decides which you mean.

The comparative adverb ends in -e and stays that way whoever the subject is. Marko trči brže — not brži. If the word describes the verb (how someone does something), it is an adverb and takes the neuter form; if it describes the person (Marko je brži), it is an adjective and agrees.