Questions & Answers about Ten budynek jest wyższy o dwa piętra niż nasz blok.
Why is it ten budynek and not to budynek?
Because budynek is a masculine singular noun, and the demonstrative this must agree with it in gender, number, and case.
- ten budynek = this building
- to is used with neuter nouns, or as a general pronoun meaning this/it
Compare:
- ten dom = this house
- ta szkoła = this school
- to okno = this window
So budynek is masculine, which is why you need ten.
What is the difference between budynek and blok?
Budynek means building in a general sense.
Blok usually means an apartment block / block of flats / apartment building.
So in this sentence:
- Ten budynek = this building
- nasz blok = our apartment block
Using both words in one sentence is natural because one is a general word and the other is more specific.
Why is it jest wyższy? Is jest necessary here?