Breakdown of Что касается комфорта, то мебель здесь великолепная.
здесь
here
что
what
мебель
furniture
то
then (in that case)
Questions & Answers about Что касается комфорта, то мебель здесь великолепная.
Why is комфорта in the genitive case?
The phrase что касается literally means 'what touches [upon].' The verb касаться (to touch / to concern) always requires its object to be in the genitive case. Therefore, the nominative комфорт becomes the genitive комфорта.
Do I always have to use то in the second half of the sentence?
In standard Russian, yes. The construction Что касается [X], то [Y] works as a paired structure. The то acts as a pivot (similar to 'then') that introduces the main clause after you have established the new topic. If you drop то, the sentence will sound grammatically incomplete to a native speaker.
Мебель ends in a soft sign. What clues in this sentence tell us its gender?
You can tell мебель is feminine because the adjective describing it, великолепная (magnificent), is in the feminine nominative form. While soft-sign nouns can be tricky, everyday items like мебель, дверь (door), and кровать (bed) are feminine. Note that just like 'furniture' in English, мебель is uncountable and used in the singular.
Could I just use насчёт (about / regarding) instead of this construction?
Yes, насчёт комфорта is a grammatically correct alternative, but it is more conversational. Что касается ..., то ... is slightly more formal and is perfect for drawing contrasts. For example, you might use it here if you just complained about the high price of the apartment, and are now pivoting to praise the furniture.