Если банан уже мягкий, он обычно слаще, чем груша.

if

Breakdown of Если банан уже мягкий, он обычно слаще, чем груша.

• чем: than
• мягкий: soft
• обычно: usually

Questions & Answers about Если банан уже мягкий, он обычно слаще, чем груша.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Russian, the present-tense form of to be is usually omitted.

So:

• банан мягкий = the banana is soft / a banana is soft
• он обычно слаще = it is usually sweeter

This is completely normal. Russian only uses forms of быть more visibly in the past, future, or in certain special constructions.

---

Why are there no words for a or the?

Russian does not have articles.

So банан can mean:

• a banana
• the banana
• sometimes just banana in a general sense

You understand which one is meant from context. In this sentence, English might say a banana or the banana, but Russian simply says банан.

---

Why does мягкий end in -ий?