Breakdown of Im dłużej czekamy, tym gorzej.
czekać
to wait
gorzej
worse (adverb)
im
the (more - first part)
tym
the (more - second part)
dłużej
longer
Questions & Answers about Im dłużej czekamy, tym gorzej.
How does the im ..., tym ... structure work in this sentence?
This structure is the Polish equivalent of "the [more] ..., the [more] ...". You place im before the first comparative word (dłużej) to set up the condition, and tym before the second comparative word (gorzej) to show the result.
Why does this sentence use the adverbs dłużej and gorzej instead of adjectives like dłuższy and gorszy?
Dłużej (longer) and gorzej (worse) are adverbs, meaning they describe an action or a general state. Dłużej describes the verb czekamy (how we wait), and gorzej describes the overall situation. If you were describing specific nouns (like "a longer line" or "a worse day"), you would use adjectives.
The English translation ends with "it is". Why isn't there a verb like jest at the end of the Polish sentence?
In Polish, it's very common to drop the verb jest (is) in the second half of an im ..., tym ... sentence when describing a general state or outcome. Adding it to make tym gorzej jest isn't strictly wrong, but it sounds clunky. Polish prefers to keep these expressions short and punchy.
What is the base dictionary form of gorzej?
Gorzej is the comparative form of the adverb źle (badly). Just like in English (badly -> worse), it is completely irregular. Make sure not to confuse it with the adjective form, which is zły (bad) -> gorszy (worse).
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