Learn Polish: Ta droga jest płatna, tymczasem alternatywa jest darmowa. - This road is a toll road, whereas the alternative is free.

While tymczasem literally means 'in the meantime' relating to time, it is frequently used to introduce a strong logical contrast, translating to 'whereas' or 'while'. Here, it sets up a direct opposition between the paid road and the free alternative rather than describing events happening at the same time.

Could we use za to instead of tymczasem in this sentence?

You could, but it changes the nuance. Tymczasem presents a neutral, objective contrast ('whereas'). If you used za to ('on the other hand'), it usually implies a balancing effect or compensation, suggesting that the alternative being free makes up for some other negative aspect it might have, such as being much slower or in poor condition.

Why is 'toll road' translated simply as droga jest płatna?

English often uses compound nouns like 'toll road', but Polish prefers using the adjective płatny (paid) to describe services or infrastructure that require a fee. You will see this everywhere in Poland, such as parking płatny for a paid parking lot or odcinek płatny for a toll section of a highway.

Is the comma before tymczasem required here?

Yes. In Polish punctuation, you must always place a comma before contrasting conjunctions that connect two clauses. This includes words like tymczasem, za to, ale, and jednak.