Learn Hardcore Russian: Счёт был дороже, чем я ожидал. - The bill was more expensive than I expected.

дороже is the comparative form of the adjective дорогой (expensive). It expresses “more expensive.” Russian comparatives can be formed synthetically by adding suffixes like -ее/-ей (as in дорогой → дороже) or analytically with более + adjective.

Could I also say более дорогой, and if so, is there a difference?

Yes, you can say более дорогой, but the synthetic form дороже is more common and idiomatic in everyday speech. Both mean “more expensive,” but более дорогой sounds slightly more formal or bookish.

Why is there a comma before чем?

In Russian, a comma is placed before the comparative conjunction чем when it introduces a clause with its own verb (here я ожидал). The comma separates the main clause (Счёт был дороже) from the subordinate comparative clause.

What role does чем play here? Is it a case form or a conjunction?

Here чем is a subordinating conjunction meaning “than.” Although it looks identical to the instrumental case of что, in comparative constructions it functions as a conjunction, not a case marker.

Why do we need был in this sentence? Can we omit it?

Был is the past-tense copula of быть, linking the subject to the predicate adjective. In past-time statements, the copula is normally required in standard Russian. Omitting был would make the sentence sound incomplete or ungrammatical.

Can we drop the pronoun я in чем я ожидал?

Yes. Russian is a pro-drop language, so you can say чем ожидал if the subject is clear from context. Including я adds emphasis or clarity but is not strictly necessary.

Why is ожидал in the masculine form? What if a woman says this?

Past-tense verbs in Russian agree with the subject in gender. When я is the subject, a male speaker uses ожидал, while a female speaker would say ожидала.

Why is счёт spelled with ё instead of е?

The correct letter is ё, representing the /jo/ sound. In everyday writing, many Russians replace ё with е, but the pronunciation remains /jo/. In formal or educational texts, it’s best to use ё.

Why isn’t there an article like “the” before счёт in Russian?

Russian has no articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context, word order, or additional words (e.g., этот счёт for “this bill”), rather than by separate words like “the” or “a.”

Could we use оказался instead of был, as in Счёт оказался дороже…?

Yes. Оказаться (“to turn out”) is commonly used in this context and adds nuance. Счёт оказался дороже, чем я ожидал emphasizes the surprise or unexpected outcome more than the plain copula был.