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Questions & Answers about Ця стіна більша, ніж інша.
What does ця mean in this sentence, and why is it used?
Ця is the feminine demonstrative adjective meaning “this”. It is used here because стіна (wall) is a feminine noun, so the adjective must agree with the noun’s gender.
Why is the comparative adjective written as більша instead of більший?
The adjective більша is used because it agrees with the feminine noun стіна. In Ukrainian, adjectives must match the gender of the noun they modify. For masculine nouns, the form would be більший, but here it correctly appears in the feminine form.
How is the word ніж functioning in this sentence?
Ніж serves as the comparative conjunction, equivalent to “than” in English. It connects the two compared elements by linking більша (bigger) with інша (the other), establishing the comparison between the two walls.
Why is the noun after інша omitted, even though in English we would say “the other wall”?
The noun is omitted due to ellipsis—a common feature in both Ukrainian and English. Once стіна (wall) is mentioned in the first part of the sentence, it’s understood in the comparison. Thus, інша implicitly refers to “the other wall” without needing to repeat the noun.
How does the structure of this Ukrainian comparison differ from or resemble that in English?
The structure is quite similar to English in that a comparative adjective is followed by a conjunction to introduce the second element of the comparison (English uses “than”, and Ukrainian uses ніж). However, Ukrainian requires adjectives to agree in gender, as seen with більша agreeing with стіна. Additionally, Ukrainian often employs ellipsis, omitting the noun in the second comparison if the context makes it clear.
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