Этот маршрут короче, чем тот.

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Breakdown of Этот маршрут короче, чем тот.

• чем: than
• тот: that
• маршрут: the route

Questions & Answers about Этот маршрут короче, чем тот.

Why is there no word for “is” in the Russian sentence?

In Russian, the verb быть (to be) is normally omitted in the present tense in simple sentences like this.
So instead of literally saying Этот маршрут есть короче, чем тот, Russian just says Этот маршрут короче, чем тот.
Learners usually supply the “is” in English when translating, but in Russian it’s understood from context and the structure of the sentence.

What is the grammatical case of этот маршрут and тот, and why?

Both этот маршрут and тот are in the nominative case.
In a comparison like this, you are essentially saying:

• Этот маршрут (есть) короче, чем тот (маршрут).

Both things being compared are treated like subjects or subject-like elements, so they stay in the nominative. Nothing here requires an object case (like accusative or genitive).

Why этот маршрут and not это маршрут?