twardszy

Twardszy is the Polish comparative form of the adjective twardy, meaning hard, firm, or solid. It is used to describe something that has greater hardness or firmness relative to another thing, and can be applied to physical properties as well as abstract qualities.

In standard Polish, twardszy is formed by adding the suffix -szy to the stem tward-, resulting in twardszy. The form agrees with gender and number: masculine singular form is twardszy, with feminine and neuter counterparts twardsza and twardsze, respectively; plural forms follow the usual Polish agreement patterns. In comparisons, phrases typically use niż or od, as in "twardszy od" or "twardszy niż."

Examples include: Ten kamień jest twardszy od tamtego. Ten materiał jest twardszy od drewna. Jej decyzja była twardsza. In figurative usage, twardszy can describe a person’s character, as in "twardszy charakter," meaning a more determined or resolute disposition.

Etymology and usage notes: twardszy is derived from the root twardy with the standard comparative suffix -szy, following regular Polish morphophonological rules. It is commonly preferred over the periphrastic "bardziej twardy" in everyday speech for expressing greater hardness or firmness. The term is established in formal and informal registers and can describe a wide range of properties, from material strength to willpower.

See also: twardy, comparative forms in Polish, Polish grammar, adjectives.