Making Comparisons with Niż
To say one thing is "more" or "less" than another, Polish uses the word niż (than).
When you use niż, the two things being compared are kept in the exact same grammatical case. Most often, you will be comparing two subjects, meaning both nouns stay in their basic dictionary form (the Nominative case).
| Gold is more expensive than silver. | Złoto jest droższe niż srebro. |
| Silver is cheaper than gold. | Srebro jest tańsze niż złoto. |
| A train is faster than a car. | Pociąg jest szybszy niż samochód. |
Irregular Comparatives
Irregular comparatives (like lepszy, gorszy, większy, mniejszy) pair perfectly with niż. Just ensure the adjective agrees in gender with the first noun (the subject).
| Wood is better than plastic. | Drewno jest lepsze niż plastik. |
| My house is bigger than yours. | Mój dom jest większy niż twój. |
| Plastic is worse than wood and stone. | Plastik jest gorszy niż drewno i kamień. |
Comparing Seasons
Notice how the adjectives match the gender of the first noun (lato is neuter, zima is feminine).
| Summer is warmer than spring. | Lato jest cieplejsze niż wiosna. |
| Winter is colder than autumn. | Zima jest zimniejsza niż jesień. |
Pronouns and Complex Sentences
The rule of matching cases applies to pronouns as well. If the first subject is in the Nominative case, the pronoun after niż must also be Nominative (ja, ty, on, etc.).
| When I visit him, he is happier than me. | Kiedy go odwiedzam, on jest szczęśliwszy niż ja. |
You can easily use comparisons in complex sentences, such as after setting the scene with kiedy (when).
| When winter comes, the night is longer than the day. | Kiedy przychodzi zima, noc jest dłuższa niż dzień. |
| When I eat in the office, pizza is tastier than a sandwich. | Kiedy jem w biurze, pizza jest smaczniejsza niż kanapka. |
