Breakdown of Ten samochód osobowy jest o metr węższy.
być
to be
samochód
car
ten
this (m)
metr
meter
osobowy
passenger (adjective)
o
by (margin of difference)
węższy
narrower
Questions & Answers about Ten samochód osobowy jest o metr węższy.
Why do we use o before metr here?
In Polish, when you want to express the margin of difference in a comparison (like 'a meter narrower' or 'two years older'), you must use the preposition o followed by the Accusative case. While English often drops the preposition (saying 'a meter narrower' instead of 'narrower by a meter'), Polish strictly requires o.
Since o takes the Accusative here for the margin of difference, shouldn't metr change its ending?
It is actually in the Accusative case! Because metr is a masculine inanimate noun, its Accusative form is exactly identical to its dictionary (Nominative) form. If the unit of measurement were a feminine noun, you would clearly see the ending change, for example: o jedną sekundę (by one second).
What is the base dictionary form of węższy?
The base adjective is wąski (narrow). To form the comparative, the -ski suffix is dropped, and the root undergoes a consonant mutation where the s changes to ż, before adding the comparative ending -szy. This makes wąski become węższy.
What does the word osobowy add to the meaning of samochód?
Osobowy comes from the noun osoba (person). While samochód just means 'car' or 'automobile', samochód osobowy is the full, specific term for a 'passenger car.' It is commonly used to distinguish regular personal cars from a samochód ciężarowy (truck) or samochód dostawczy (delivery van).
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