In Russian, adjectives (words that describe things) can change when we compare them. This article will talk about special adjectives, focusing on the word "хороший," which means "good." We’ll see how to change it based on gender (male or female), number (singular or plural), and case (the form of the word).

Comparing Things

To compare things using "хороший," we change it to "лучший," which means "better." This is special because most adjectives just add letters for comparison, but "хороший" is different.

Comparative Examples:

| Degree | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |-------------|------------|-----------|----------|-----------| | Comparative | лучший | лучшая | лучшее | лучшие |

How to Use in Sentences:

• Он лучше меня. (He is better than me.)
• Эта книга лучше той. (This book is better than that one.)

The Best of the Best

When we want to say something is the best, we also use "лучший." To make it clearer, we can say "самый лучший," which means "the most good." But sometimes, just "лучший" is enough depending on what we are talking about.

Superlative Examples:

| Degree | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |--------------|------------|-----------|----------|-----------| | Superlative | самый лучший | самая лучшая | самое лучшее | самые лучшие |

How to Use in Sentences:

• Он самый лучший студент. (He is the best student.)
• Эта картина самая лучшая в музее. (This painting is the best in the museum.)

Matching Adjectives

When you use adjectives, they need to match the noun (the word being described) in gender, number, and case. Here’s how this works:

1. Gender:

   • Masculine adjectives (like лучший) change a little.
   • Feminine adjectives often add "ая" (like лучшая).
   • Neuter adjectives add "ое" (like лучшее).

2. Number:

   • For plural adjectives, you add "ые" or "ие" based on the letter before it (like лучшие).

3. Case:

   • Adjectives need to match the case of the noun. For example, if the noun is plural, the adjective should also be plural.

Agreement Examples:

• Лучший фильм года. (Best film of the year - masculine.)
• Лучшая песня лета. (Best song of the summer - feminine.)
• Лучшее время для отдыха. (Best time to relax - neuter.)
• Лучшие друзья всегда рядом. (Best friends are always nearby - plural.)

Practice

To get better, try making sentences with different nouns and ensure the adjectives match in gender, number, and case.

1. Он (лучший) друг.
2. Это (лучшая) работа.
3. Они (самые лучшие) игроки.

By learning to use special adjectives like "хороший," you can improve your Russian speaking skills!