Learn Hardcore Russian: Этот мост выше, чем тот дом.

So instead of literally saying Этот мост есть выше, чем тот дом, Russian simply says Этот мост выше, чем тот дом. The verb “is” is understood from context and not expressed.

You only use есть in the present tense for special emphasis or contrast, not in a neutral descriptive sentence like this.

What case are мост and дом in, and why?

Both мост and дом are in the nominative singular:

этот мост – nominative singular, masculine
тот дом – nominative singular, masculine

After a comparative with чем, the thing you compare with (here тот дом) normally stays in the nominative:
Этот мост (есть) выше, чем тот дом (есть).

So you can think of it as two parallel mini‑clauses:
Этот мост (есть) выше // (чем) тот дом (есть).

Can I say Этот мост выше того дома instead of Этот мост выше, чем тот дом? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can. Both are grammatically correct, but there is a nuance:

Этот мост выше, чем тот дом.
- Uses чем
  - nominative (тот дом).
- Very common in modern spoken Russian.
- Clear and neutral in style.
Этот мост выше того дома.
- Uses a “genitive of comparison” (того дома).
- Feels a bit more formal or literary, but is also standard.
- Often used in written language or more elevated style.

In everyday speech, …выше, чем тот дом is probably more typical, but you should understand and be able to use both patterns.

Is the comma before чем necessary?

In this sentence, yes, the comma is standard and expected:
Этот мост выше, чем тот дом.

Here чем functions like a conjunction introducing a comparative clause, so Russian punctuation rules require a comma.

There are some fixed expressions or special comparative constructions where the comma is omitted, but выше, чем…, больше, чем…, лучше, чем… etc. normally take a comma in modern standard writing.

Why is it выше and not something like высокее?

Russian has two main ways to form comparatives:

Synthetic (short) comparative – a special form of the adjective:
- высокий → выше
- дешёвый → дешевле
- дорогой → дороже
Analytic comparative – более
- positive adjective:
- более высокий (more high)
- более дешёвый
- более дорогой

There is no form *высокее; the correct built‑in comparative of высокий is выше. The vowel changes: высо- → выше. You just have to memorize these irregular comparatives for common adjectives.

What is the difference between выше and более высокий in meaning and usage?

Both can express “higher / taller,” but there are nuances:

Этот мост выше, чем тот дом.
- Short, simple, very natural.
- Common in both speech and writing.
Этот мост более высокий, чем тот дом.
- Also correct.
- Slightly longer, can sound a bit more formal or “bookish” here.
- Often used when you need precision, or with adjectives that don’t have a good short comparative form.

In this particular sentence, выше is the most natural choice. Более высокий is not wrong, but feels heavier where a simple comparative works perfectly.

Why do we use чем here and not как?

In comparisons of inequality (more/less … than), Russian uses чем:

выше, чем – higher than
ниже, чем – lower than
больше, чем – bigger than
лучше, чем – better than

Как is used for equality or similarity:

такой же высокий, как тот дом – as tall as that house
высокий, как башня – tall like a tower

So in Этот мост выше, чем тот дом, you must use чем, not как.

What do этот and тот literally mean, and how are they different?

этот ≈ this (near the speaker)
тот ≈ that (farther away, or previously mentioned / less in focus)

So:

этот мост – this bridge (the one we’re focusing on / closer to us)
тот дом – that house (the other one / less central in the conversation)

Using этот … тот … in one sentence strongly contrasts two specific things: this one vs that one.

Why are the forms этот and тот, not эта, это, etc.?

Because they must agree in gender, number and case with the nouns they modify:

мост – masculine, singular, nominative → этот мост
дом – masculine, singular, nominative → тот дом

Basic nominative forms:

этот / эта / это / эти – this (m.sg / f.sg / n.sg / pl)
тот / та / то / те – that (m.sg / f.sg / n.sg / pl)

So if the nouns were feminine, you’d say for example:

эта башня выше, чем та церковь.
(This tower is higher than that church.)

Is выше an adjective or an adverb here?

Functionally in this sentence it acts like a predicate adjective (“is higher”), describing the subject мост:

мост (какой?) выше – the bridge is higher.

In many Russian grammar descriptions, forms like выше, лучше, быстрее are called comparative forms of adjectives that often behave like adverbs. For learning purposes, it’s enough to think:

It’s the comparative form of высокий, and
Here it describes the subject: the bridge is higher.

Can I change the word order in this sentence?

The basic, neutral word order is:

Этот мост выше, чем тот дом.

Possible and natural variations:

Этот мост гораздо выше, чем тот дом. – adding an intensifier.
Тот дом ниже, чем этот мост. – same idea, but focusing on the house being lower.

What you should not do is break up the core pattern in an odd way, e.g.:

*Выше этот мост, чем тот дом. – sounds awkward and unnatural in modern Russian.

Keep subject + predicate comparative together: Этот мост выше…

How would I say “much higher” or “a little higher” in this sentence?

You add an adverb in front of выше:

Этот мост гораздо выше, чем тот дом. – This bridge is much higher than that house.
Этот мост намного выше, чем тот дом. – Also “much higher.”
Этот мост чуть выше, чем тот дом. – This bridge is a little higher than that house.
Этот мост немного выше, чем тот дом. – “a little / slightly higher.”

The structure stays the same; you just modify выше.

How do you pronounce выше and чем?

Approximate pronunciation:

выше – [ВЫ-ше]
- Stress on the first syllable: ВЫ.
- ы is a central vowel, somewhat like the i in “bird” for many English speakers, but pronounced further back and without r.
чем – [чем]
- ч is like ch in “chair”, but a bit softer.
- е here sounds like ye in “yes” after a soft consonant, so [чьэм].

Together in the phrase: вы́ше, чем то́т до́м – stresses are вы́-, чем, тот, дом.