Word
Nowa szafa jest szersza o centymetr.
Meaning
The new wardrobe is wider by a centimeter.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Nowa szafa jest szersza o centymetr.
być
to be
nowy
new
szafa
wardrobe
o
by (margin of difference)
Questions & Answers about Nowa szafa jest szersza o centymetr.
Why do we use o here instead of just stating the measurement?
In Polish, to express the exact margin of difference in a comparison (meaning by a centimeter), you must use the preposition o followed by the Accusative case. Unlike English, you cannot just put the measurement directly next to the comparative adjective.
Is the word centymetr in the Nominative or Accusative case here? It looks exactly the same.
It is in the Accusative case, which is strictly required by the preposition o when expressing a margin of difference. Because centymetr is a masculine inanimate noun, its Accusative form happens to be identical to its Nominative dictionary form.
How is the comparative form szersza built from the base adjective szeroki (wide)?
The adjective szeroki has an irregular comparative form. The suffix -oki is completely dropped, giving us the irregular comparative stem szersz-. Since szafa is a feminine noun, we add the feminine ending -a to the stem to get szersza.
Could I change the word order and say Nowa szafa jest o centymetr szersza?
Yes, word order is quite flexible here. Placing the margin of difference before the comparative adjective (o centymetr szersza) is equally correct and very common in everyday Polish.