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В озере глубже, чем в реке.

В озере глубже, чем в реке.
It is deeper in the lake than in the river.
FromLesson 57inHardcore Russian
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Breakdown of В озере глубже, чем в реке.

в
in
чем
than
глубже
deeper
озеро
lake
река
river
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Questions & Answers about В озере глубже, чем в реке.

Why is there no verb (like is/are) in В озере глубже, чем в реке?

Russian often omits the present-tense form of to be (есть) in ordinary statements. So the meaning is understood as (It is) deeper in the lake than in the river without any verb being written.

What exactly does глубже mean here, and what form is it?

Глубже is the comparative form of глубокий (deep) / глубоко (deeply). In this sentence it functions like a predicate meaning deeper (i.e., the depth is greater). Russian commonly uses the comparative like this without an explicit noun: (там) глубже = it’s deeper (there).

Why does the sentence start with В озере and not Озеро?

Because the sentence compares depth in places, not the two bodies of water as objects.

  • В озере глубже, чем в реке. = It’s deeper in the lake than in the river (talking about the water depth there).
    If you say:
  • Озеро глубже, чем река. = The lake is deeper than the river (treating them more like objects being compared overall).
What case is озере / реке, and why?

Both are in the prepositional case because of the preposition в meaning in (location).

  • в озере (озеро → озере)
  • в реке (река → реке)
Could it be на озере instead of в озере?

Usually в озере is correct for being in the lake (in the water / within the lake). На озере is possible but tends to mean at the lake / by the lake / on the lake (area/shore/ice) depending on context. For talking about depth of the water, в озере is the normal choice.

Why is чем used, and what does it do?

Чем introduces the second part of a comparative: deeper than…
Pattern: (A) + comparative + чем + (B)
So глубже, чем в реке = deeper than in the river.

Is the comma before чем required?

In this kind of clear comparison, a comma is normally used: глубже, чем…
In some short or very tightly connected phrases, you may sometimes see no comma, but for learners it’s safest to treat comparative + , чем as the standard written form.

What is the implied subject—what exactly is “deeper”?

It’s an impersonal construction: the subject is not stated. The idea is the depth (or the water) is greater there. Russian often expresses this as (там) глубже without naming what is deep.

Can I add a word like там (“there”)? Where would it go?

Yes. Common options are:

  • В озере там глубже, чем в реке. (less natural, context-dependent)
  • В озере глубже, чем в реке. (most neutral)
  • В озере глубже, чем в реке, там мельче. (if contrasting places)

Most of the time там is unnecessary because в озере / в реке already specify location.

Is в реке mandatory in the second part, or can it be shortened?

It can be shortened if the context makes it obvious:

  • В озере глубже, чем в реке. (full, clear)
  • В озере глубже, чем в ней. = …than in it (the river)
    But repeating в + location is very common and sounds natural.
How would I say “much deeper” or “a little deeper” in this sentence?

You can modify the comparative:

  • В озере намного глубже, чем в реке. = much deeper
  • В озере чуть/немного глубже, чем в реке. = a little deeper