ako / než

Than: Ako and Než

Level 2

Comparative + ako or než + the other thing: Bratislava je väčšia než Nitra.

How It Works

Put ako or než after a comparative, or after iný (different), to name what you compare with:

  • Je starší ako ja. (He is older than me.)
  • Bratislava je väčšia než Nitra. (Bratislava is bigger than Nitra.)
  • Je to iné, než som čakal. (It is different from what I expected.)

Which case follows? The word after ako or než does not have one fixed case. It takes the case it would have if you repeated the verb. Usually that is the nominative, because it is a subject: Je starší ako ja (ako som ja). When you compare two objects, the second one is an object too: Mám radšej čaj ako kávu. Here káva becomes kávu, just like the object čaj.

A whole clause can follow as well: Je to lacnejšie, ako som si myslel. (It is cheaper than I thought.)

Only for differences. Než shows that two things are not the same. When things are equal, use tak or taký with ako: Je taký vysoký ako ja. (He is as tall as me.)

To say by how much, use o: Je o dva roky starší ako ja. (He is two years older than me.)

Examples (6)

  1. Je starší ako ja.

    He is older than me.

    Ja stays in the nominative, because it means ako som ja.

  2. Bratislava je väčšia než Nitra.

    Bratislava is bigger than Nitra.

  3. Vlak je rýchlejší ako autobus.

    The train is faster than the bus.

  4. Mám radšej čaj ako kávu.

    I prefer tea to coffee.

    Word by Word: I have rather tea than coffee.

    Káva is an object like čaj, so it is in the accusative: kávu.

  5. Je to lacnejšie, než som si myslel.

    It is cheaper than I thought.

    Než can introduce a whole clause.

  6. Moja sestra je o tri roky mladšia ako ja.

    My sister is three years younger than me.

    O plus the accusative tells you by how much.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the pronoun after ako in the accusative.

    Je starší ako mňa.
    Je starší ako ja.

    The pronoun is a subject in its own right (ako som ja), so it stays in the nominative.

  • Using než when two things are equal.

    Je taký vysoký než ja.
    Je taký vysoký ako ja.

    Než only follows a comparative or a word like iný. For equal things, use taký ... ako.

  • Not matching the case of the compared object.

    Mám radšej čaj ako káva.
    Mám radšej čaj ako kávu.

    Káva is compared with the object čaj, so it takes the accusative too.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ako / nežLevel 2Than: Ako and Než

Learn This First

Before Than: ako and než, learn Comparing Adjectives. ako and než introduce the second part of a comparison.

Words in This Pattern

než