Welcome to a free sample from the Serbian 201 course. If you have already worked through the basics of Serbian adjectives, you are ready to start comparing - and comparing things is one of the most natural, expressive things you can do in any language. We use comparatives every day: "this coffee is stronger", "that street is quieter", "my bag is heavier than yours".
This lesson gives you a clear look at how Serbian forms its comparatives, with a table of the most useful adjectives and plenty of real sentences to practise with. Think of it as a taste of what the full Serbian 201 course covers in depth.
Where is this from?
This lesson is a free sample from the Serbian 201 course - a structured intermediate course that takes you beyond the basics and into the grammar and vocabulary you need for real conversations. The 201 course assumes you already know the Serbian alphabet, basic noun cases, and common vocabulary, and it builds from there into more nuanced territory like adjective agreement, aspect, and verbal nouns.
If you enjoy this sample, the full course goes through each topic with video explanations, exercises, and quizzes. But even as a standalone lesson, everything here is complete and usable straight away.
The comparative idea
In Serbian, the comparative is formed by adding a suffix to the adjective stem - usually -ji, -si, or -iji depending on the final consonant of the stem. The good news is that the pattern is consistent enough that once you have seen a dozen examples, you will start to predict new forms correctly. The superlative is then formed by adding the prefix naj- to the comparative, no exceptions.
The comparative must agree with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case - just like any other Serbian adjective. So the form you see in the table below is the masculine singular nominative, which is the citation form. In a real sentence you will adjust the ending to match the noun.
A few examples
| Meaning | Positive | Comparative | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| beautiful | lep | lepši | p + si = psi (written psi) |
| fast | brz | brži | z softens to ž |
| slow | spor | sporiji | -iji suffix for many adjectives |
| old | star | stariji | -iji suffix |
| tall / high | visok | viši | ok drops, s softens |
| short / low | nizak | niži | zak drops, z softens to ž |
The pattern of dropping -ok / -ak and softening the stem consonant (as in visok - viši and nizak - niži) is one of the most common in Serbian. It is worth noticing it here so you recognise it when you see it in new adjectives.
More Serbian examples
Here are warm, natural sentences using the comparatives from the table and a few more. Read each one aloud, then try making a parallel sentence about your own life.
Ovaj voz je brži od autobusa. - This train is faster than the bus.
Moj brat je stariji od mene. - My brother is older than me.
Ona je viša od sestre. - She is taller than her sister.
Planina je visi od brda. - A mountain is higher than a hill.
Hodanje je sporije od trcanja. - Walking is slower than running.
Ovaj put je lepši od onog. - This road is more beautiful than that one.
Beograd je stariji grad od Novog Sada. - Belgrade is an older city than Novi Sad.
Leti je toplije nego zimi. - It is warmer in summer than in winter.
Ovaj hotel je lepsi i jeftiniji. - This hotel is more beautiful and cheaper.
Njegov glas je tiši od njenog. - His voice is quieter than hers.
Try making three sentences comparing things in your own environment: your town vs. another town, yourself vs. a family member, two things you use every day. That personal connection is what locks vocabulary into memory.
A note
One thing worth remembering: in Serbian the comparative always agrees with the noun it describes, just like the positive form does. So "a faster train" is brži voz (masculine), "a faster car" is brža kola (neuter plural), and "a faster woman runner" would use brža (feminine). The endings follow the regular long-form adjective declension pattern.
Also keep in mind that the full Serbian 201 course goes into much more depth on agreement patterns, irregular comparatives (like dobar - bolji, los - gori, mali - manji), and how to use comparatives in complex sentences. What you see here is a solid foundation - the full course builds on it in a structured, manageable way.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rule for choosing -ji vs. -iji in the comparative?
Monosyllabic adjective stems (one syllable) tend to take -ji (with possible consonant softening): brz - brži, lep - lepši. Polysyllabic stems (two or more syllables) tend to take -iji: spor - sporiji, star - stariji. This is a rough rule of thumb; there are exceptions, so learning the comparative alongside the positive is always the safest approach.
How do I make the superlative from these forms?
Simply add naj- to the front: brži - najbrži (fastest), sporiji - najsporiji (slowest), stariji - najstariji (oldest), viši - najviši (tallest). The naj- prefix is completely invariable - it never changes regardless of gender or case.
What about irregular comparatives?
Several common adjectives have irregular comparatives: dobar - bolji (good - better), los - gori (bad - worse), mali - manji (small - smaller), velik - veći (big - bigger). These are the most important ones to memorise, and they come up constantly in everyday speech.
Can I use comparatives as predicates as well as attributives?
Yes. "A faster train" (brži voz) is attributive. "The train is faster" (Voz je brži) is predicative. Both constructions are used all the time, and the comparative form is the same in both cases - only the adjective ending changes to agree with the noun.
You are making real progress - understanding the comparative system is a genuine milestone in Serbian. Keep practising those sentences and the forms will start to feel natural very quickly. Marina Petrovic
Want to explore adjectives further? Head over to More adjective practice for more lessons and exercises.