Szczepanska Kathryn. Russian: A Self-Teaching Guide

Подождите немного. Документ загружается.

9. Îлия Пéссина/ÿмный/ученñца/наш класс

10. Армéния/красñвый/странá/(на) Кавкáз

11. Háша библиотéка/тñхий/мéсто/наш гóрод

12. Байкáл/глубóкий/óзеро/мир

13. Мой дéдушка/дóбрый/человéк/нáша дерéвня

14. Алûска/большóй/штат/Амéрика

15. Вóлга/длñ

нный/рекá/Еврóпа

The syntax of sentences containing superlative comparisons permits several

variants. As in the exercise above, you may use the preposition в and the preposi-

tional case or one of the following:

Genitive: Эверéст—œто сáмая высóкая горá мñра.

The preposition средñ: Эверéст—œто сáмая высóкая средñ гор мñра.

The preposition из: Эверéст—œто сáмая высóкая из всех гор в мñре.

The last example is particularly common in written Russian. Once you feel

that your command of the genitive plural is strong enough, try the above exercise

using the preposition из modeled on the third example above. Answers are pro-

vided following the previous exercise.

One additional, extremely common construction in Russian is одñнизfol-

lowed by the compound superlative.Thus, if you are not sure whether the Volga is

the longest, or whether the Matterhorn is the highest, or whether Vasya

Kropotkin is the stupidest, you can say that they are one of the longest, highest, or

stupidest.Again, if you feel comfortable with the genitive plural, try the following

exercise. Remember to use the correct form: одñн, однó, однá.

TEST FOR MASTERY 5

Example: Вáся Кропóткин/глÿпый/ученñк/нáша шкóла →

Вáся Кропóткин—одñнизсáмых глÿпых ученикóввнáшей

шкóле.

1. Филадéльфия/скÿчный/гóрод/Амéрика

2. Толстóй/велñкий/писáтель/мир

74 RUSSIAN: A Self-Teaching Guide

3. Œто/вкÿсный/колбасá/гастронóм

4. Гáрвардский университéт/стáрый/вуз/Амéрика

5. Нáша библиотéка/тñхий/мéсто/гóрод

6. Миссисñпи/длñнный/рекá/мир

7. Гренлáндия/большóй/óстров/мир

8. Ñ нгмар Бéргман/извéстный/кинорежиссёр/мир

9. Коннéктикут/мáленький/штат/Амéрика

10. Профéссор Лéнсон/крÿпный/учёный/Амéрика

Simple Form

The simple superlative, which is formed by means of a suffix, is used not so much

to express the absolute superlative (the tallest building) as it is to express a value

judgment on the part of the speaker and may be used when no comparison is

made (a most interesting film). Of course, this form may be used as an absolute

superlative, which will be clear from the context. Therefore, it is fair to translate

the simple superlative as a most, a very, or an extremely. The emphasis on the

indefinite article points to the fact that the speaker has in mind one of only many

such superlative things. Note that like the compound comparative, the simple

comparative is declined.

Formation

Only adjectives that have a simple comparative can form the simple superlative

(see pp. 65 and 67 above). Certain other adjectives, even if they form the simple

comparative, do not form the simple superlative. Among them are гñбкий,

грóмкий, молодóй, роднóй, сухóй, ÿзкий.

1. Adjectives whose stems end in г, к, or х mutate the final consonant into ж,

ч, or ш and add the ending -айший: стрóгий/строжáйший, тñхий/тишáйший,

велñкий/величáйший, глухóй/глушáйший, высóкий/высочáйший.

2. Almost all other adjectives add -ейший to their stems: нó

вый/новéйший,

гл ÿпый/глупéйший, мñлый/милéйший.

The Adjective 75

3. Some adjectives form the simple superlative irregularly: плохóй/хÿдший,

мáленький/мéньший, корóткий/кратчáйший, хо рóший/лÿчший, тûжкий/

тягчáйший, дорогóй/дражáйший.

Two adjectives, высóкий and нñзкий, have two simple superlatives:

высочáйший (the highest, physically) and вπсший (highest, supreme, higher, e.g.,

higher education), as in ввπсшей стéпени (in the highest degree) and вπсшее

óбщество (high society); нижáйший (lowest, humblest) and нñзший (lowest,

lower, e.g., lower school), as in нñзшая температÿра зимы (the lowest tempera-

ture of the winter) and нñзшие слÿжащие (the lowest ranking employees).

Note also дальнéйший (further, furthest) and позднéйший (subsequent).

4. The prefix наи- may be added to convey emphasis on the high degree of the

adjective. Its usage is considered bookish or formal. Compare here the English,

which does an excellent job of conveying the meaning of the prefix наи- in the fol-

lowing set expression: с наилÿчшими пожелáниями (with [my] very best wishes).

5. The prefix пре- added to the simple adjective has the meaning of very or

extremely and may have the connotation of excessively, overly: предлñнный (very

long, too long), пренеприûтный (very/extremely unpleasant).

Some Notes on Style

The simple superlative has the effect of being bookish or literary and is thus rarely

heard in normal conversation, although occasionally it is encountered in the

speech of educated people. However, there are certain set expressions that you

will see with some frequency that use the simple superlative. Some of them are:

в ближáйшее врéмя

in the near future

милéйшие лîди the nicest people

всё к лÿчшему all for the best

до мельчáйших подрóбностей down to the smallest details

онá изменñлась к хÿдшему she changed for the worse

нет ни малéйшего сомнéния there’s not the slightest doubt

с величáйшим удовóльствием with the greatest pleasure

с глубочáйшим уважéнием with the deepest respect

вπсшее образовáние higher (college) education

чистéйший вздор pure nonsense

егó злéйший враг his worst (most evil) enemy

ценнéйшее кáчество a most valuable quality

76 RUSSIAN: A Self-Teaching Guide

This form is considered old-fashioned and may add an ironic tone.

Another Way to Form the Superlative

Instead of using the compound or simple superlative as described above, Russian

conversation has a quick and easy way of expressing the superlative.This is to use

the comparative plus the expressions всех (than anyone) or всегó (than any-

thing): ИвáнИвáнович был богáче, чем другñе помéщики (Ivan Ivanovich was

richer than the other landowners); ИвáнИвáнович был богáче всех (Ivan

Ivanovich was the richest of all); Он пñшет лÿчше, чем он говорñт (He writes

better than he speaks); Он пñшет лÿчше всегó (He writes best of all). Note that

the last two examples use the comparative adverb.

TEST FOR MASTERY 6

Compose sentences describing the subject as one of the X-est of its class. The

words following из will be in the genitive plural.

Example: Пÿшкин/велñкий поœт → Пÿшкин—одñниз

величáйших рÿсских поœтов.

1. Байкáл/глубóкий/óзеро

2. Парñж/красñвый/гóрод

3. «Касаблáнка»/интерéсный/фильм

4. Рÿсский язπк/трÿдный/язπк

5. Москóвский университéт/крÿпный/вуз

6. Миссñсипи/длñнный/рекá

7. Билл Гейтс/богáтый/человéк

8. Œто/нóвый/здáние

9. Радмñла/хорóший/студéнтка

10. Моû машñна/плохóй/машñна

11. Œтот гóрод/скÿчный/мéсто

12. Мадóнна/энергñчная/хулигáнка

13. Моû собáка/счастлñвый/живóтное

14. Гñтлер/злой/вождь

15. Дáша Ивóлгина/

неснóсная (unbearable)/сплéтница (gossip)

The Adjective 77

Long-Form vs. Short-Form Adjectives

Adjectives may be used in the long form or the short form. There are many

instances wherein the use of either is considered the speaker’s choice, and in these

cases the choice of the short form is a sign of an educated speaker. Long form,

however, tends to predominate in normal conversation.

Short Form

Short adjectives must be used predicatively.

They have masculine, feminine, neuter,

and plural forms and do not decline. Long-form adjectives may be used either pred-

icatively or attributively. Each of the following sentences conveys the same mean-

ing: Онá былáóчень красñвая vs. Онá былáóчень красñва. In the first example,

the use of the long form may indicate that the speaker views the adjective as being

intrinsic to the subject, whereas the short adjective in the companion sentence indi-

cates that she was beautiful at that time and may no longer be. In other words, the

short-form adjective is impermanent. Thus, adjectives such as рÿсский,

деревûнный, золотóй, фиолéтовый, трéтий, all adjectives in -ский, and many

others do not form short adjectives since they cannot be thought of as more or less.

Short-form adjectives may also convey a sense that the adjective is excessively

so, with or without the word слñшком (too): Œти тÿфли мне малπ may mean

These shoes are (too) small for me; Он для œтого ещё мóлод indicates that He is

still (too) young for that.

The short form is used when followed by an infinitive, by the word чтóбы, by

prepositions, or when the adjective governs a word in an oblique case (see the last

example below):

Я готóв помогáть вам во всём. I am ready to help you with anything.

Он слñшком бóлен, чтóбы прийтñ

. He is too sick to come.

Онñ глухñ квáшим прóсьбам. They are deaf to your requests.

Вы довóльны моéй рабóтой? Are you satisfied with my work?

Differences in Meaning between Long- and Short-form Adjectives

The student should become familiar with the following morphological differences

between the use of long and short forms:

78 RUSSIAN: A Self-Teaching Guide

There are a handful of set expressions that do not follow this rule.They will be learned as

separate vocabulary entries.

Он прав. He is right (vs. wrong).

Он прáвый. He is right wing.

Œта дéвочка живáя и весёлая. This girl is lively and happy.

Œта дéвочка едвá живá. This girl is barely alive.

Он сердñтый человéк. He is an ill-tempered man.

Он óчень сердñт. He is very angry.

Онá занятáяжéнщина. She is a busy woman.

Сегóдня вéчером онá занятá. Tonight she’s busy.

Œто свобóдная странá. This is a free country.

Зáвтра я свобóдна весь день. Tomorrow I’m free all day.

Он увéренный человек. He is a self-assured person.

Он в œтом увéрен. He is sure of that.

The adjective рад, рáда, рáды is the only adjective commonly used in Modern

Russian that exists in short form only.

The short form is used with the subjects œто and всё: Всё бπло ûсно (Every-

thing was clear); Œто óчень тр

ÿдно (That’s very difficult).

TEST FOR MASTERY 7

Replace the English word with the correct form of the adjective as appropriate:

1. Онá былá умнá и (beautiful).

2. Мой брат всегдá (ready) на всё.

3. Зáвтра вéчером он заболéл, и сегóдня ещё (sick).

4. Мой дûдя óчень (sick) человéк.

5. Œто мéсто (free)?

6. В (free) врéмя я читáю стихñ.

7. Он ещё не (married).

8. Мы купñли билéты на (express) пóезд.

The Adjective 79

9. Яне(agree) с ним.

10. Œта ÿлица (too short) для нáшей машñны.

11. Он слñшком (busy) для тебû.

12. Сáша! Ты сегóдна не (well)? Жаль.

13. Моû женá (happy and healthy) жéнщина.

14. Такñе (hungry) дéти!

15. Дéти! Вы (hungry)?

Special Uses of Adjectives

Substantivized Adjectives

Original adjective–noun combinations, over time and with extended use, came to

be used in an abbreviated fashion. The noun of the original expression was

dropped, leaving only a substantivized adjective, which functions as a noun and

behaves completely like a regular adjective whose gender is derived from the

missing noun.

Some common adjectives used as nouns are:

Substantivized adjective Missing noun English

столóвая kóмната dining room

гостñная living room

перéдняя vestibule

вáнная bathroom

операциóнная operating room

бÿлочная лáвка bakery

молóчная dairy

пивнáя pub

больнóй человéк patient

взрóслый adult

воéнный soldier

рабóчий worker

насекóмое cуществó insect

живóтное animal

80 RUSSIAN: A Self-Teaching Guide

Substantivized adjective Missing noun English

шампáнское винó champagne

токáйское Tokay

бургÿндское Burgundy

пéрвое блîдо first course

вторóе second course

трéтье third course

слáдкое dessert

Adjectives Derived from Participles (Deverbal Adjectives)

The derivation and use of Russian participles is a difficult issue, which will be dis-

cussed in the last chapter.Yet, one mention is merited at this point,if only to stress the

fact that a participle is nothing but a verb in the form of an adjective.Thus, when you

encounter an unusual form of a verb, it is probably a participle.Try to think of it as an

adjectival phrase modifying a noun: the person who is washing the dishes, the book

that was lying on the table, the article that had been published last year,and so on.

The following substantivized adjectives are a sample of those derived from

participles: дáнные (data, i.e., things that have been given); начинáющий (a begin-

ner, i.e., someone who is beginning); yчáщийся (a student, i.e., someone who is

studying); обвинûемый (the accused, i.e., the person who is accused); ископáемые

(minerals, i.e., things that are being mined); трудûщийся (worker, i.e., a person

who labors); говорûщий (a speaker, i.e., the person who is speaking); курûщий (a

smoker, i.e., a person who smokes); млекопитáющее (a mammal, i.e., a being that

feeds milk to its young); пресмыкáющееся (a reptile, i.e., a being that creeps).

The following adjectives are also participles derived from verbs, but they can

be used as adjectives as well as participles.The following list should be considered

only a handful out of the thousands of such words: блестûщий (shining); бπвший

(former); невыносñмый (intolerable); рассéянный (distracted, scattered);

открπтый/закрπтый (open/closed); выдаîщийся (outstanding); небьîщийся

(unbreakable); забπтый (forgotten); одéтый (dressed); приближáющийся

(approaching).

ANSWER KEY

Test for Mastery 1

1. рÿсская 3. сñнее

2. зñмний 4. Большóй

The Adjective 81

5. Бéлый 18. мñлые

6. послéдняя 19. óстрые

7. хорóшая 20. здéншяя

8. свéжее 21. рÿсская

9. плохóе 22. извéстный

10. чёрный

23. молодπе

11. молодáя 24. хорóшее

12. англñйский 25. тñхий

13. жёлтое 26. плохáя

14. сñние 27. Нóвое рÿсское слóво

15. дáльний 28. Крáсная

16. пятилéтняя 29. сéверный

17. совремéнный 30. длñнная

Conversation Practice (some possible responses)

1. А у нас жёлтые банáны.

2. А у нас интерéсные музéи.

3. А у нас тóлько мóдные магазñны.

4. А ÿлицы у нас óчень ширóкие.

5. А у менû тóлько англñйские кнñги.

6. А у нас богáтые лîди.

7. А у нас мáленькие озёра, худπе лесá.

8. А у нас тёплые, мûгкие зñмы.

9. А автóбусы у нас нóвые, óчень хорóшие.

10. А у нас таксñ бывáют жёлтые.

82 RUSSIAN: A Self-Teaching Guide

Remember that кóфе is masculine.

Нóвое рÿсское слово is a well-known Russian émigré newspaper published in New York

since 1905.

Demonstrative Adjective Practice

1. Œти ребûтa шÿмные, атеребûта тñхие.

2. Œтот магазñн дорогóй, а тот магазñн дешёвый.

3. Œти задáчи трÿдные, атезадáчи лёгкие.

4. Œто бельё грûзное, а то бельё чñстое.

5. Œта кнñга скÿчная, атакнñга интерéсная.

6. Œтот ученñк ÿмный, а тот ученñкглÿпый.

7. Œти здáния нñзкие, атездáния высóкие.

8. Œтот суп вкÿсный, а тот суп невкÿсный.

Œти городá блñзкие, а те городá далёкие.

10. Œта дéвушка больнáя, атадéвушка здорóвая.

Test for Mastery 2

1. Канáда блñже, чем Китáй.

2. Бостóн интерéснее, чем Филадéльфия.

3. Пáпа вπше, чем мáма.

4. Билл Гейтс богáче, чем я.

5. Рÿсский язπклéгче, чем китáйский язπк.

6. Сахáра сÿше, чем Нью-Йóрк.

7. Ходñть в кинó дешéвле, чем ходñтьвтеáтр.

8. Дéти грóмче, чем взрóслые.

9. Áльпы крÿче, чем Аппал

áчи.

10. Зóлото рéже, чем серебрó.

11. Свeрxчeлoвéк сидьнéе, чем локомотñв.

12. Мадóнна красñвее, чем Брñтни Спирс

13. Алûска бóльше, чем Техáс.

The Adjective 83