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63 Bigger and Better: Comparatives
Comparatives are forms of adjectives used to express not a property (e.g. big) but a
relative property (e.g. bigger). A comparative (short: comp.) is again an adjective.
The base form (big) is sometimes called positive.
In Croatian, most adjectives form their comparatives by adding -iji to their
dictionary form or case-base:
dosadan (dosadn-) boring → dosadniji more boring
jeftin cheap → jeftiniji cheaper
pažljiv careful → pažljiviji more careful
sretan (sretn-) happy → sretniji happier ®
star old → stariji older
Comparatives formed in this way usually have the stress on the syllable that comes
right before the added -iji (e.g. paž-lji-viji).
Unfortunately, most one-syllable adjectives have complicated alternations of their
final consonants in comparative, so their comparative form must be remembered
(or you can remember the patterns from the adjectives listed below, but you still
have to remember which adjectives have alternations and which just add -iji):
brz fast → brži
blag gentle → blaži
čist clean, pure → čišći
čvrst rigid → čvršći
dug long → duži
glup stupid → gluplji
mlad young → mlađi
skup expensive → skuplji
tih quiet → tiši
tvrd hard → tvrđi
Some one-syllable adjectives use the simpler way to create comparatives and just
add -iji. Often used ones are:
crn black
loš bad
nov new
plavi blue
pun full
rani early
slab weak
slan salty
spor slow
star old
strm steep
zdrav healthy
Many two-syllable adjectives, especially ones ending in -ak or -ok, undergo an even
greater transformation: they get shortened (e.g. lose -ok) and then go through the
consonant alternation as most one-syllable adjectives:
dalek distant → dalji
dubok deep → dublji
kratak short → kraći
nizak low → niži
širok wide → širi
težak heavy → teži
uzak narrow → uži
visok tall → viši ®
Few adjectives have completely irregular comparatives (everything so far was kind