Breakdown of Этот стул ниже стола.
стол
table / desk
стул
chair
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
ниже
shorter / lower
Questions & Answers about Этот стул ниже стола.
Why is the word for 'table' written as стола instead of стол?
In Russian, one way to say 'than [something]' is to put that [something] in the Genitive case. Since we are comparing the chair to the table, the masculine noun стол takes the Genitive ending -а to become стола. We do not even need a separate word for 'than' when we use this structure!
What is the dictionary form of the word ниже (lower)?
It is the comparative form of the adjective низкий (low). Many common short adjectives have irregular comparative forms. Here, the stem changes and the -зк- turns into a -ж- sound.
Where is the word for 'is' in this sentence?
In the present tense, Russian drops the verb 'to be' (is, am, are). The sentence is literally built as 'This chair lower of-the-table'.
Would the word ниже change if we were comparing a feminine or plural noun?
No, it stays exactly the same! Simple comparative words like ниже do not change endings to match the gender or number of the noun they describe.