Question 1

Why do we use the unidirectional verb ползёт instead of the multidirectional ползает for time?

Accepted Answer

In Russian, metaphorical motion that progresses in a single, continuous, or abstract direction usually takes a unidirectional verb of motion. Because time is perceived as moving steadily forward in one direction, we use ползти (unidirectional) rather than ползать (multidirectional) to describe it "crawling."

Question 2

How does the Чем... тем... construction work here?

Accepted Answer

This is the Russian equivalent of "The [more], the [more]." Чем introduces the condition, and тем introduces the result. A key rule to remember is that both words must be paired directly with a comparative adjective or adverb. In this sentence, they pair with the comparatives больше (more) and медленнее (slower).

Question 3

Why is the subject время at the very end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Russian, the most important or "new" information (the focus of the sentence) is typically placed at the end. Putting время last gives it special emphasis, almost making it the punchline of the thought. Because Russian uses cases (like the nominative case here) to show that время is the subject, it doesn't need to sit next to the verb like it does in English.

Question 4

Could I say медленней instead of медленнее?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely! For comparative adverbs ending in -ее, you can often shorten the suffix to -ей (just like быстрее becomes быстрей). Медленнее is the standard, neutral written form, while медленней is a bit more conversational and poetic, but both mean exactly the same thing.

Чем больше мы ждём, тем медленнее ползёт время.

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