Only qualitative adjectives can have a superlative or comparative form. If an English adjective can be used comparatively or superlatively, the equivalent Belarusan adjective most likely can as well. By the same token, if the English adjective cannot be used comparatively or superlatively, the Belarusan adjective probably cannot also.
6.1 Short comparative adjective formation
The short comparative form of an adjective is identical to the
comparative adverb. The comparative adverb is formed by removing the
final –ы or –і and replacing it with an accented –ей. See 29.4 for more on the comparative adverb.
бе́дны‘poor’бядне́й‘poorer’
бе́лы‘white’бяле́й‘whiter’
ва́жны‘important’важне́йmore important
вольны‘free’вальнейmore free
вясё́лы‘fun’весяле́йmore fun
дакла́дны‘precise’дакладне́йmore precise
ра́нні‘early’ране́й‘earlier’
If the last consonant of the adjective is invariably non-palatized, the
final –ы is replaced with –эй.
му́дры‘wise’мудрэ́й‘wiser’
прыго́жы‘beautiful’прыгажэ́йmore beautiful
хі́тры‘cunning’хітрэ́йmore cunning
For adjectives ending in –ты or –ды, the ending is removed and
replaced with one of the accented endings –цей or –дзей
respectively.
бага́ты‘rich’багаце́й‘richer’
густыthick, viscousгусце́йthicker, more viscous
жо́ўты‘yellow’жаўце́йmore yellow
маладыyoungмаладзе́й‘younger’
про́сты‘simple’прасце́й‘simpler’
то́ўстыthick, fatтаўсце́йthicker, fatter
цвё́рдыhard, firmцвярдзе́йharder, firmer
чы́сты‘clean’чысце́й‘cleaner’
There are a number of irregular comparative adjectives.
высо́кі‘high’выше́й‘higher’
глыбо́кі‘deep’глыбе́й‘deeper’
далё́кі‘far’дале́й‘farther’
шыро́кі‘wide’шырэ́й‘wider’
блі́зкі‘near’бліжэ́й‘nearer’
ву́зкі‘narrow’вужэ́й‘narrower’
гла́дкі‘smooth’гладзе́й‘smoother’
каро́ткі‘short’караце́й‘shorter’
сало́дкі‘sweet’саладзе́й‘sweeter’
глухіdeafглушэ́й‘deafer’
дарагіexpensiveдаражэ́йmore expensive
до́ўгі‘long’даўжэ́й‘longer’
лё́гкі‘light’лягчэ́й‘lighter’
мя́ккі‘soft’мякчэ́й‘softer’
ці́хі‘quiet’цішэ́й‘quieter’
ху́ткі‘fast’хутчэ́й‘faster’
6.2 Short comparative adverb usage
Because short comparative adjectives are adverbs, they do not decline and can only be used predicatively.
Я маладзе́й за яго́.I am younger than him.
Ко́жнаму хаце́лася стаць бліжэ́йEach wanted to get closer to the
water.
да вады́.
6.3 Irregular short comparative adjectives
a small number of adjectives have unique short comparative adjective forms, separate from their short comparative adverb form. These adjectives all end in –шы, decline like other adjectives, and are not limited to predicate usage.
вялі́кі‘big’бо́льшы‘bigger’
до́бры‘good’ле́пшы‘better’
дрэ́нны‘bad’го́ршы‘worse’
малыsmallме́ншы‘smaller’
Some examples of usage of short comparative adjectives are given.
Сам быў не ў ле́пшым ста́не.I myself was not in any better shape.
Там былі́ яблы́кі бо́лшыя,The apples were bigger over there
чым тут.than here.
The adjective малады́, ‘young’, has the normal short comparative form
маладзе́й, but it also has an additional short comparative form
мало́дшы, which has the specialized meaning of junior. The
adjective ста́ры does not have a normal short comparative form, but
there is the specialized word ста́ршы, which means ‘older’, or ‘senior’. Both мало́дшы and ста́ршы are used like any normal
adjective.
Мало́дшы лейтэна́нт камандава́ўThe junior lieutenant commanded
мінамё́тнай ро́тай.the mortar company.
апро́ч мяне́ была́ ў ма́ці яшчэMy mother had another daughter
besides
дачка́, мая́ сястра́ ста́ршая.me, my older sister.
6.4 Long comparative adjectives
adjectives that do not have a short comparative form can be used comparatively by placing either больш, ‘more’, or менш, ‘less’, before the word.
Я больш паліты́чны, чым выI am more tactful than both of
ра́зам узя́тыя.you combined.
Беражо́к ля я́мы стаў большThe rim around the hole became
зру́чны.more convenient.
6.5 Superlatives ending in –ейшы or –эйшы
any adjective which has a short comparative form can form a superlative
by appending the ending –шы to that short comparative form.
adjectives without a short comparative form that ends in –ей or
–эй do not have a unique superlative form.
бядне́й‘poorer’бядне́йшы‘poorest’
бяле́й‘whiter’бяле́йшы‘whitest’
даражэ́йmore expensiveдаражэ́йшыmost expensive
караце́й‘shorter’караце́йшы‘shortest’
мякчэ́й‘softer’мякчэ́йшы‘softest’
ране́й‘earlier’ране́йшы‘earliest’
The adjective ста́ры, ‘old’, has no short comparative form, but does
have the superlative старэ́йшы, ‘oldest’.
6.6 Superlatives using the adverb са́мы
The superlative form of any qualitative adjective can be formed by
placing the adjective са́мы, ‘most’, before the adjective and by then
declining са́мы to agree with the adjective. This is the form used for
adjectives that do not have a superlative form ending in –ейшы or
–эйшы, like the adjectives discussed in Section 6.3.
Яны́ стая́лі пе́рад са́мым круты́мThey stood in front of the
steepest hill.
узго́ркам.
а ўво́гуле ро́зум — не са́маеGenerally, the mind is not the most
гало́ўнае ў чалаве́ку.important thing to a person.
6.8 Superlatives with the prefix най-
This prefix can be appended to ordinary superlatives, the comparative adjectives mentioned in Section 6.3, or to adjectives that normally has no special superlative form. The prefix най- slightly changes the meaning of the word. a normal superlative indicates that the characteristic of the noun is the extreme when compared to others. When the prefix най- is appended, the meaning indicates that the characteristic of the adjective is extreme, regardless of whether it is compared to others or not.
Гэ́та — найбо́льшы знак дляThis is a really big sign for the town
that
гарадка́, што за́ўтра вайна́.war is tomorrow.
Гэ́тую даве́дку, бы найдаражэ́йшыShe buried this affidavit in the
papers, as
дакуме́нт, яна загарну́ла ўif it were a most valuable document.
папе́рку.
Я калі́сьці бу́ду найпе́ршы.Someday I will be the very first.