To say something is "the biggest," "the tallest," or "the most extreme," Russian uses the word самый (the most) followed by an adjective.
Because самый is an adjective, it must agree with the noun's gender, number, and case.
| Gender | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | самый | самый большой (the biggest) |
| Feminine | самая | самая высокая (the tallest) |
| Neuter | самое | самое старое (the oldest) |
When talking about landmarks, you will often say "in the world" (в мире) or "in the city" (в городе). Both use the prepositional case.
| This is the biggest city in the world. | Это самый большой город в мире. |
| Where is the tallest tower in the world? | Где самая высокая башня в мире? |
| This tower is the oldest building in the city. | Эта башня — самое старое здание в городе. |
Match the question word какой (which) to the noun's gender as well.
| Which ocean is the biggest? | Какой океан самый большой? |
| This is the deepest lake in the world. | Это самое глубокое озеро в мире. |
| This is the widest river, and there is the ocean. | Это самая широкая река, а там океан. |
When describing a landmark as a "place" (место), the superlative becomes самое to match the neuter noun место—even if the landmark itself (like пустыня, desert) is feminine.
| This desert is the hottest place on the island. | Эта пустыня — самое жаркое место на острове. |
| Which volcano is the tallest in the world? | Какой вулкан самый высокий в мире? |
| That volcano is the most dangerous. | Тот вулкан — самый опасный. |
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