Breakdown of Viajar en tren es seguro, pero hoy el servicio es peor que de costumbre.
ser
to be
en
in
hoy
today
pero
but
de
of
la costumbre
the custom
que
than
el tren
the train
seguro
safe
peor
worse
viajar
traveling
el servicio
the service
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Questions & Answers about Viajar en tren es seguro, pero hoy el servicio es peor que de costumbre.
Why do we say viajar en tren instead of viajar por tren?
In Spanish, when talking about the means of transportation you use en, not por.
- en tren, en coche, en avión
por would indicate a route (e.g. viajar por Europa) or a reason/motive, not the vehicle itself.
What does seguro mean here, and why do we use es seguro?
Here, seguro means “safe” or “reliable.”
- es seguro = “it is safe” (adjective after ser)
You’re making a general statement: “Traveling by train is safe.” In Spanish, state-of-being adjectives (like seguro, fácil, rápido) follow ser.
What does el servicio refer to in this context?
El servicio here means the quality or reliability of the train system that the company provides:
- punctuality of trains
- frequency of departures
- cleanliness, staff performance, etc.
We’re not complaining about an individual train, but about the overall “service” that runs the trains.
How is the comparative peor formed? Why don’t we say más malo?
Spanish has four irregular comparatives:
• mejor (better) – from bueno
• peor (worse) – from malo
• mayor (older/bigger) – from grande
• menor (younger/smaller) – from pequeño
Instead of más malo, you must use peor.
Why do we say peor que de costumbre rather than peor que la costumbre?
de costumbre is an idiomatic adverbial phrase meaning “than usual.” You don’t add an article:
- peor que de costumbre = “worse than usual”
Adding la would turn la costumbre into “the custom,” which isn’t used in this expression.
Can I say peor de lo habitual or peor que lo habitual instead?
Yes, both are possible and idiomatic:
- peor de lo habitual
- peor que lo habitual
But bear in mind:
• You need the neutral article lo before habitual.
• de costumbre is more colloquial; lo habitual is slightly more formal.
Why is hoy placed before el servicio instead of at the very start?
Spanish adverbs like hoy are flexible. Placing hoy mid-sentence:
- emphasizes the contrast (it’s usually OK, today it’s not)
- avoids repetition at the beginning
You could also say Hoy el servicio es peor…, but the writer chose this word order for smoother flow.