Russian · TORFL Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 26
Кто выше?Who is taller?
Describing and comparing people. Vocabulary: высокий, низкий, красивый, молодой, старый, умный, добрый, волосы, глаза, похож. Key grammar: most adjectives have a short comparative form in "-е/-ее" — высокий → выше (taller), старый → старше (older), молодой → моложе (younger), умный → умнее (smarter). The object of comparison goes in the genitive case: "Он выше меня" (He is taller than me), "Она старше брата" (She is older than her brother). English speakers copy "more" and say "более старый" ✗ → "старше" ✓. "более + adjective" is also possible, but the short form sounds more natural. Reading corner: stress in comparative forms (вЫше, стАрше, but умнЕе).
Dialogue
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более старый / старше
- IvanМайк,твойбратстаршеилимоложетебя?Mike, is your brother older or younger than you?
- MikeОнболеестарый.He is older. (slip: the natural Russian is the short comparative — «старше», not «более старый»)
- IvanЛучшекороче:«Онстаршеменя».Better shorter: "Он старше меня" (He is older than me).
- MikeПонял:онстаршеменя.Ионвыше.Got it: he is older than me. And he is taller.
- IvanАктоумнее?And who is cleverer?
- MikeКонечно,я!Ну,почти.Me, of course! Well, almost.
Dialogue
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Моя сестра и я— My sister and I
- IvanАня,утебяестьфотосемьи?Anya, do you have a family photo?
- AnyaДа,смотри.ЭтомоясестраМаша.Yes, look. This is my sister Masha.
- IvanВыпохожи!Онастаршетебя?You look alike! Is she older than you?
- AnyaДа,надвагодастарше.Ноявыше.Yes, two years older. But I am taller.
- IvanАктодобрее?And who is kinder?
- AnyaМашадобрее.Аяготовлюлучше!Masha is kinder. But I cook better!
Vocabulary
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- высокий
adjectivetall, high
- низкий
adjectiveshort, low
- красивый
adjectivebeautiful, handsome
- молодой
adjectiveyoung
- старый
adjectiveold
- умный
adjectiveclever, smart
- добрый
adjectivekind
- волосы
n.pl.hair
- глаза
n.pl.eyes (sg. глаз)
- старше
adjectiveolder (comparative of старый)
- похож
adjectivesimilar, alike (похож на + acc.)
Grammar
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Comparison: short form + genitive
Explanation
To compare, Russian has a handy short comparative form. Usually it is the stem + "-ее": умный → умнее (smarter), красивый → красивее (more beautiful), добрый → добрее (kinder). Common words have special forms: высокий → выше (taller), старый → старше (older), молодой → моложе (younger), хороший → лучше (better), плохой → хуже (worse). This form does not change for gender or number — it is one for all. The object of comparison goes into the genitive case: "Он выше меня" (taller than me, not "than I"), "Она старше брата" (older than her brother). You can also use "чем": "Он выше, чем я" — also correct. Typical mistake: English speakers copy "more" and say "более старый" ✗ — grammatical but unnatural; better "старше" ✓. For equality: "такой же… как" (as… as): "Он такой же высокий, как я" (as tall as me).
Examples
- Мой брат выше меня.My brother is taller than me.
- Анна старше сестры.Anna is older than her sister.
- Этот дом красивее.This house is more beautiful.
- Он такой же умный, как я.He is as clever as me.
Cyrillic
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Ударение в сравнительных формах— Stress in comparative forms
In Russian the stress is mobile, and in the comparative forms there is a pattern. The short "irregular" forms keep the stress on the stem (at the front): "вЫше", "стАрше", "мОложе", "нИже". But the forms in "-ее" move the stress onto the ending: "умнЕе", "добрЕе", "красИвее" (here the stress is on "-си-", as in the word itself). Listen and repeat: short word — stress at the front, long word in "-ее" — stress nearer the end. Correct stress matters: without it the word sounds unclear. Read the forms aloud.
Read the forms aloud:
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