PREPOSITIONS PLUS AND MINUS

In Russian, the preposition na plays an important role in expressing quantitative changes and quantitative relationships. Typical examples include increase by <a certain amount>, decrease by <a certain amount>, increase by itself by <a certain amount>, and decrease by itself by <a certain amount>. In LPQR, however, this usage is inconsistent with the semantic logic of the preposition na.

For this reason, LPQR uses the words plus and minus to express quantitative changes. Thus, the expressions increase by <a certain amount> and decrease by <a certain amount> should be translated as:

uveličitj, plus <amount>

umenjšitj, minus <amount>

Examples:

The amount of honey should be increased by half a spoonful.
Količestvo u mjod nužno uveličitj, plus polovina ot ložka.

Sugar consumption should be reduced by 10%.
Potrebljenije na sahar nužno umenjšitj, minus 10%.

Sugar exports may increase by 6%.
Export na sahar možet uveličitjsja, plus 6%.

Primary energy consumption should decrease by 50%.
Potrebljenije na pervičnǐj energija dolžen umenjšitjsja, minus 50%.

In LPQR, the comparative forms of the adverbs mnogo ("much") and malo ("little") are mnogjeje and maljeje, respectively. Likewise, the comparative forms of the adjectives boljšoj ("large") and malǐj ("small"; the Russian adjective malen'kij is normally translated as malǐj) are boljšjeje (also spelled boljšeje) and maljeje.

The forms boljše and mjenjše are regarded as colloquial and are recommended only in informal speech.

To express quantitative comparisons, the prepositions plus and minus are used together with the comparative forms mnogjeje, boljšjeje, and maljeje.

Examples:

From the New Year onward, maternity capital will increase by 30,000.
Poslje Novǐj God kapital-dlja-mati stat boljšjeje, plus tridcatj tǐsjači.

One third more boys were born than girls.
Rodilsja maljčiki mnogjeje, plus tretij častj, čjem devočki.

The demand for packaging has become 85% lower.
Potrebnostj na upakovka stal maljeje, minus 85%.

Today, the city's hospitals have 400 fewer beds than a year ago.
Sjevodnja v boljnicǐ v gorod maljeje, minus 400 kojki, čjem za god do.

Alice has two fewer envelopes than Mary.
Alice imet maljeje, minus dva kuvertǐ, čjem Mary.

In some contexts, the comparative words mnogjeje, boljšjeje, and maljeje may be omitted from constructions with plus and minus, since the intended meaning remains clear.

Examples:

From the New Year onward, maternity capital will increase by 30,000.
Poslje Novǐj God kapital-dlja-mati stat plus tridcatj tǐsjači.

One third more boys were born than girls.
Rodilsja maljčiki plus tretj čjem devočki.

Today, the city's hospitals have 400 fewer beds than a year ago.
Sjevodnja v boljnicǐ v gorod minus 400 kojki, čjem za god do.

Alice has two fewer envelopes than Mary.
Alice imet minus dva kuvertǐ čjem Mary.

Note

The words plus and minus in LPQR function as special quantitative prepositions. Rather than expressing spatial or grammatical relations, they indicate the magnitude and direction of a numerical change or difference. This usage clearly distinguishes them from the preposition na, whose primary function is to express spatial orientation, direction, purpose, or the object toward which an action is directed.Das