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Learn Hardcore Polish: Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus. - This train is faster than the bus.

Hardcore Polish
/Lesson 44
/Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

This train is faster than the bus.

Breakdown of Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

Questions & Answers about Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

What does ten mean here, and why is it ten rather than ta or to?

Ten is the masculine singular form of the demonstrative this.

Polish demonstratives change to match the gender and number of the noun:

ten — masculine singular
ta — feminine singular
to — neuter singular
te — plural

Because pociąg (train) is masculine, you say ten pociąg.

Examples:

ten pociąg — this train
ta stacja — this station
to miasto — this city

How do I know that pociąg is masculine?

In Polish, nouns have grammatical gender. Pociąg is masculine.

One clue is that many masculine nouns in the dictionary form end in a consonant, and pociąg ends in -g. That is a very common pattern for masculine nouns.

Because pociąg is masculine, other words referring to it also take masculine forms:

ten pociąg
pociąg jest szybszy

So both ten and szybszy are masculine singular to match pociąg.

Why is it szybszy and not szybki?

autobus

the bus

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Szybki means fast.
Szybszy means faster.

So this sentence uses the comparative form of the adjective, because it is comparing the train with the bus.

Basic pattern:

szybki — fast
szybszy — faster

This change is not completely predictable just from English, so it is best to learn it as a comparative form. Many Polish comparatives are formed with -szy or -iejszy, often with a stem change.

Examples:

mały → mniejszy — small → smaller
długi → dłuższy — long → longer
szybki → szybszy — fast → faster

Why does szybszy end in -y?

The ending -y shows that the adjective is in the masculine singular nominative form.

It agrees with pociąg, which is masculine singular and is the subject of the sentence.

Compare:

Ten pociąg jest szybszy. — masculine
Ta kolej jest szybsza. — feminine
To metro jest szybsze. — neuter

So the comparative adjective still has to agree with the noun in gender and number.

What does jest do here? Can I leave it out?

Jest means is.

In normal Polish, you usually keep jest in sentences like this:

Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

Unlike in some other Slavic languages, Polish normally does use the present tense of to be in this kind of sentence.

Leaving it out would sound incomplete or nonstandard in ordinary speech:

Ten pociąg szybszy niż autobus — not the normal full sentence

So for a learner, the safe rule is: keep jest.

What does niż mean?

Niż means than in comparisons.

So:

szybszy niż autobus = faster than the bus

It is the standard word used after a comparative adjective.

Examples:

wyższy niż ja — taller than me
tańszy niż wcześniej — cheaper than before
lepszy niż ten — better than that one

Why is it niż autobus, not something like niż autobusu?

After niż, Polish often keeps the same case as in a full comparison.

Here the full underlying idea is something like:

Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus jest szybki.

Because autobus is understood as the subject of the second part, it stays in the nominative:

niż autobus

So autobus is correct here.

However, Polish also has another comparison pattern:

szybszy od autobusu

After od, you must use the genitive:

autobus → autobusu

So both are possible:

Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.
Ten pociąg jest szybszy od autobusu.

Both mean the same thing.

What is the difference between niż and od in comparisons?

Both can mean than after a comparative, but they work differently.

With niż

You normally use:

niż + nominative in simple comparisons

Example:

Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

With od

You use:

od + genitive

Example:

Ten pociąg jest szybszy od autobusu.

For many everyday sentences, both are acceptable. Learners often first meet niż because it feels closer to English than.

A useful rule:

niż autobus
od autobusu

Why is there no word for the or a before autobus?

Polish has no articles, so there is no direct equivalent of a or the in most sentences.

That means autobus can mean:

a bus
the bus

The exact meaning comes from context.

In this sentence, English might translate it as:

This train is faster than the bus or
This train is faster than a bus

Usually the situation tells you which one is meant.

Can ten pociąg mean that train as well as this train?

Usually ten pociąg is taught as this train.

However, in real usage, Polish ten can sometimes feel broader than English this, especially when it points to a specific known thing. Depending on context, English might sometimes translate it more naturally as that or even just the.

Still, for learning purposes, the clearest basic meaning is:

ten pociąg = this train

If you specifically want that train, Polish often uses:

tamten pociąg — that train

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Polish word order is more flexible than English, but the neutral order here is:

Ten pociąg jest szybszy niż autobus.

This sounds natural and straightforward.

Other orders are possible for emphasis, for example:

Szybszy niż autobus jest ten pociąg.
Ten pociąg szybszy jest niż autobus.

But these are less neutral and may sound marked, poetic, or emphatic depending on context.

For learners, the best choice is to keep the standard order:

subject + jest
- comparative + niż phrase

How is pociąg pronounced?

A rough pronunciation guide:

ten ≈ ten
pociąg ≈ PO-chyongk
jest ≈ yest
szybszy ≈ SHIB-shy
niż ≈ neesh
autobus ≈ ow-TO-boos

A few useful notes:

ą is a nasal vowel. Before certain consonants, it often sounds somewhat like on/om.
ci before a vowel often sounds like a soft ch sound.
sz sounds like English sh.
ż sounds like the s in measure or zh.

Is this sentence only about speed in general, or can it mean a specific trip is faster?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Most naturally, it means that this train is faster than the bus as a means of transport in the situation being discussed.

It could refer to:

the general speed of the train compared with the bus
a specific route or journey
a particular train service compared with taking the bus

Polish, like English, often leaves that detail to context. The grammar itself does not force only one interpretation.

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