Breakdown of Der Bus ist günstiger als der Zug.
sein
to be
der Bus
the bus
der Zug
the train
günstig
cheap / favorable (good value)
als
than
Questions & Answers about Der Bus ist günstiger als der Zug.
How do we form the word günstiger?
The basic word for 'cheap' or 'favorable' is günstig. To say 'cheaper', we just add -er to the end, making it günstiger. This works exactly like adding '-er' in English!
Could I use billiger instead of günstiger here?
Yes, but they have a slightly different feel. Günstig usually means 'a good deal' or 'well-priced'. Billig also means 'cheap', but it can sometimes imply low quality or 'cheaply made'.
Why do we use als here for 'than'?
In German, when you are comparing two things that are unequal (one is cheaper than the other), you always use als. Be careful not to use wie, which is only used when two things are exactly equal (like 'as cheap as').
Why doesn't the article change for der Zug after als?
When you compare two things using als, they both need to match in case. Since der Bus is the subject of the sentence (nominative case), der Zug also stays in the nominative case.
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