Breakdown of Эта батарея гораздо эффективнее.
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
гораздо
much (with comparatives)
батарея
battery
эффективный
efficient
Questions & Answers about Эта батарея гораздо эффективнее.
Why do we use гораздо here instead of очень (very) or много (a lot)?
Очень is used with regular adjectives, but it cannot be used with comparatives. To say "much more" or "a lot more" with a comparative word like эффективнее, Russian requires гораздо or намного. You cannot say очень эффективнее or много эффективнее.
Could I use намного instead of гораздо in this sentence?
Yes! Эта батарея намного эффективнее means exactly the same thing. Both гораздо and намного are interchangeable intensifiers used before comparatives to mean "much" or "by a lot."
Батарея is a feminine noun. Why doesn't эффективнее have a feminine ending?
Words ending in -ее are "simple comparatives." Unlike standard adjectives, simple comparatives never change their endings to match gender, case, or number. It will always be эффективнее, whether you are talking about a feminine battery, a masculine motor, or plural items.
What if I wanted to say "This is a much more efficient battery" instead?