Are you eager to take your Serbian to the next level? Listening is the perfect way to learn on the go, while scrubbing the bathroom
Sanja Markovic
January 16, 2025
Want to become a better, smoother, and more confident Serbian speaker? Then, you probably want to know all about comparing adjectives. To help you with that, this article will cover the positive, comparative, and superlative in Serbian, jazzed up with plenty of examples.
Ready to take your skills from just okay into rockstar territory? Let’s get started!
Like in English, Serbian adjectives have three degrees of comparison — positive, comparative, and superlative. For instance, if you have three small yet differently-sized dogs, you can describe them like this:
Positive: mali pas (small dog)
Comparative: manji pas (smaller dog)
Superlative: najmanji pas (the smallest dog)
Or, if you’ve got three large felines, you may put it this way:
Positive: velika mačka (big cat)
Comparative: veća mačka (bigger cat)
Superlative: najveća mačka (the biggest cat)
So far so good? Here are a few more examples:
beautiful – lep | lepši | najlepši
long – dug | duži | najduži
good – dobar | bolji | najbolji
At first glance, all this may seem random, or as Serbs would say — nigde veze. However, comparing adjectives in Serbian follows a set of rules, which brings us to the next section.
First off, it’s worth mentioning that not all adjectives can be compared. In most cases, we only compare descriptive adjectives. Other types, like spatial, temporal, or material adjectives, typically don’t have comparative and superlative forms.
After all, you can describe a desk as bigger, or sturdier than a chair, but it makes no sense to say it’s more wooden, right?
With that clarified, we’ll lay out all three degrees of comparison.
In short, the positive form is the one you’ll find in dictionaries. As such, it doesn’t require much explanation.
That said, it’s important to point out that Serbian adjectives change depending on gender and number. In practice, that means adding the following suffixes to the basic form:
singular | plural | |
masculine | ends in a consonant or i | -i |
feminine | -a | -e |
neuter | -o / -e | -a |
Let’s take the adjective lep (beautiful) for instance:
singular | plural | |
masculine | On je lep. | Oni su lepi. |
feminine | Ona je lepa. | One su lepe. |
neuter | Ono je lepo. | Ona su lepa. |
Another tricky thing about Serbian adjectives? They have cases, just like nouns. While this guide won’t be focusing on adjective declination, you can learn about it here.
In simple terms, you build the comparative form by adding a suffix to the basic adjective. Those suffixes are:
Just like the positive form, the comparative adjectives change in agreement with gender and number. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll only focus on the singular from now on. So, below are the suffixes for all three genders.
masculine | feminine | neuter |
-ji | -ja | -je |
-iji | -ija | -ije |
-ši | -ša | -še |
There are only three adjectives that go with -ši: lep (beautiful), mek (soft), and lak (easy).
basic form | comparative | ||
m. | f. | n. | |
lep | lepši | lepša | lepše |
mek | mekši | mekša | mekše |
lak | lakši | lakša | lakše |
Most adjectives with one syllable (and some with two) go with -ji. This group is the trickiest since you need to pay attention to the sound changes. What does that mean?
Let’s take the adjective mlad (young) as an example:
younger: mlad + ji = mlađi
See how d and j blended into đ? Similar changes happen with other adjectives, as you’ll see in the following examples.
sound change | positive | comparative | ||
m. | f. | n. | ||
d – đ | mlad (young) | mlađi | mlađa | mlađe | ||
sladak (sweet) | slađi | slađa | slađe | |||
z – ž | brz (fast) | brži | brža | brže | ||
nizak (short/low) | niži | niža | niže | |||
s – š | visok (tall) | viši | viša | više | ||
k – č | jak (strong) | jači | jača | jače | ||
t – ć | ljut (angry) | ljući | ljuća | ljuće | ||
g – ž | dug (long) | duži | duža | duže | ||
h – š | tih (quiet) | tiši | tiša | tiše | ||
n – nj | crn (black) | crnji | crnja | crnje | ||
l/o – lj | beo (bel) (white) | belji | belja | belje | ||
p – plj | skup (expensive) | skuplji | skuplja | skuplje | ||
v – vlj | suv (dry) | suvlji | suvlja | suvlje | ||
b – blj | grub (rough) | grublji | grublja | grublje | ||
debeo (debel) (fat) | deblji | deblja | deblje | |||
st – šć | čest (frequent) | češći | češća | češće | ||
All these sound changes may seem like too much to handle right now, and that’s perfectly understandable. Instead of worrying about the rules, you may find it easier to memorize the comparative forms of common adjectives as they are. With enough practice, you’ll be able to use them intuitively.
Most adjectives with two or more syllables (and a few monosyllabic) belong to this group. Below, we’ll list some of the common examples, sticking to the masculine form. For other genders, just change the suffix as we explained earlier (-ija for feminine and -ije for neuter).
positive | comparative |
zanimljiv (interesting) | zanimljiviji |
dosadan (boring) | dosadniji |
srećan (happy) | srećniji |
tužan (sad) | tužniji |
star (old) | stariji |
nov (new) | noviji |
pametan (smart) | pametniji |
The adjectives in this group are much simpler to compare than the previous ones; all you need to do is add -iji to the adjective in its positive form. Still, there’s a catch.
Did you notice how the letter a disappeared in most examples:
This sound is known as the fleeting a, probably because it tends to vanish into thin air when words change form. Since this change affects most adjectives in comparative (and superlative) form, but not all, pay attention to it when practicing your adjectives.
Again, don’t fret if you can’t get the hang of all this from the get-go. After you hear and see these adjectives enough times, you’ll be using them without having to rake your brain over the pesky rules. So, like we always say, practice is the key.
When it comes to the superlative, we’ve got some fantastic news — it’s dead simple. Seriously, once you master the comparative form, all you need to do is slap the prefix naj- at the beginning, and you’re good to go!
For example:
the most beautiful: naj + lepši = najlepši
the tallest: naj + viši = najviši
As you can see in these examples, naj- and the comparative should be attached. If written like this — naj lepši — it’s a mistake, which even many native speakers make.
Also, the gender agreement rules remain the same:
najlepši (m.) | najlepša (f.) | najlepše (n.)
And the best thing is you can apply this to any adjective out there. So, once you nail the comparative form, the superlative will be no sweat.
Finally, let’s talk about the irregular comparison. Namely, we’re talking about four rebellious adjectives that follow no rules. As a result, you have no option but to memorize them as they are.
Specifically, those adjectives are dobar (good), zao (evil, mean), mali (small), and veliiki (big).
positive | comparative | superlative |
dobar | bolji | najbolji |
zao | gori | najgori |
veliki | veći | najveći |
mali | manji | najmanji |
To change the gender, just replace the final -i with -a (feminine) or -e (neuter). For instance:
feminine: velika | veća | najveća
neuter: veliko | veće | najveće
Serbian grammar may be an enormous pain in the neck, yet cramming all those rules absolutely pays off once you start using them in real life.
Below are just some of the many ways you can put comparative and superlative Serbian adjectives into practice.
Milan je brži nego Maja.
(Milan is faster than Maja.)
⇑ Notice a useful pattern: comparative + nego + noun in nominative
Nikola Tesla je najpoznatiji srpski naučnik.
(Nikola Tesla is the most famous Serbian scientist.)
Pica je ukusnija od salate
(Pizza is tastier than salad.)
⇑ Notice a useful pattern: comparative + od + noun in genitive
Koja je najodvratnija hrana koju si probala?
(What’s the most disgusting food you’ve ever tried?)
Ova majica je jeftinija i praktičnija od te.
(This T-shirt is cheaper and more practical than that one.)
Ovo je najlepša haljina koju sam ikada videla.
(This is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.)
Tvoji zubi su belji od mojih.
(Your teeth are whiter than mine.)
On je najpametniji, najlepši i najduhovitiji čovek na svetu.
(He’s the smartest, the most gorgeous, and the funniest guy in the world.)
Muzeji su zanimljiviji od kafića.
(Museums are more interesting than cafes.)
Ovo je najdosadniji film ikada.
(This is the most boring movie ever.)
Sutra će biti toplije nego danas.
(Tomorrow will be warmer than today.)
Januar je najhladniji mesec
(January is the coldest month.)
Ovaj auto je brži i povoljniji, ali onaj je lepši.
(This car is faster and more affordable, but that one is more beautiful.)
Learning a language is like bodybuilding; the more time and effort you invest, the quicker progress you’ll make. So, waste no time! Roll up your sleeves and beef up your vocab by practicing comparative and superlative in Serbian.
And, while you’re at it, don’t be afraid to make as many mistakes as you need — it’s all part of the ride.
Finally, if you’re eager to delve deeper into comparing Serbian adjectives (and tons of other topics), get our Pre-intermediate course. It’s got well-structured lessons, interactive materials, and fun quizzes perfect for learners who’ve already mastered the basics. Check it out, and enjoy practicing!
Are you eager to take your Serbian to the next level? Listening is the perfect way to learn on the go, while scrubbing the bathroom
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