Здесь тише, чем в метро.

in

Breakdown of Здесь тише, чем в метро.

• здесь: here
• чем: than
• метро: the metro

Questions & Answers about Здесь тише, чем в метро.

Why is тише used here? Is it an adjective or an adverb?

Тише is the comparative form meaning quieter. In Здесь тише, it functions as a predicative (like it’s quieter here) and does not agree with a noun in gender/number.
You can think of it as coming from:

• тихо (adverb: quietly) → тише (more quietly / quieter)
• тихий (adjective: quiet) → тише (comparative)

In this sentence it’s essentially impersonal: (Здесь) тише = It’s quieter (here).

Why isn’t there a word for it is (like есть)?

In the present tense Russian normally omits есть in sentences like this.
So Здесь (есть) тише would sound unnatural; you simply say Здесь тише.

What does чем do in this sentence?

Чем introduces the second part of a comparison, like than in English.
Pattern: X + comparative + чем + Y
So тише, чем в метро = quieter than in the metro.

Why is there a comma before чем?