Question 1

The current lesson is about using на for comparatives of difference. Why is there no на before значительно?

Accepted Answer

You use на + Accusative when stating a specific noun-based quantity (like на два года старше - two years older). However, with pure adverbs of degree like значительно (significantly), гораздо (much), or немного (a little), you do not use на. You simply place the adverb directly before the comparative.

Question 2

What is the exact meaning of ровесники, and are there gendered forms of this word?

Accepted Answer

ровесники means people of the exact same age (peers or contemporaries). The singular masculine is ровесник, and there is a feminine form, ровесница. Because the sentence starts with мы (we), it naturally uses the plural form.

Question 3

Why does the sentence use старше for the concept of older instead of старее?

Accepted Answer

старше is the comparative used specifically when talking about the age or seniority of people. старее is used for inanimate objects to mean older in the physical sense of being more worn out or ancient, such as an old car or a building.

Question 4

I remember that adjectives describing how someone looks after выглядеть can be in the instrumental case. Does that apply to comparatives like старше?

Accepted Answer

No, comparative adjectives do not change case in Russian. While a standard adjective after выглядеть is often in the instrumental (for example, она выглядит старой - she looks old), comparative forms like старше are indeclinable. You just place them directly after the verb.

Мы ровесники, но она выглядит значительно старше.

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