Breakdown of Грибы съедобные, разве что этот мухомор.
этот
this
гриб
the mushroom
разве что
except perhaps; unless
съедобный
edible
Questions & Answers about Грибы съедобные, разве что этот мухомор.
Why is there no word for are in Грибы съедобные?
In Russian, the verb to be is normally omitted in the present tense.
So:
- Грибы съедобные = The mushrooms are edible
- literally: Mushrooms edible
This is completely normal Russian.
You would only see a form of быть in the past or future:
- Грибы были съедобные = The mushrooms were edible
- Грибы будут съедобные = The mushrooms will be edible
How do I know whether грибы means mushrooms or the mushrooms?
Russian has no articles like a or the, so context tells you.
Грибы can mean:
- mushrooms in general
- the mushrooms in a particular situation
- some mushrooms depending on context
In this sentence, it most likely means a specific set of mushrooms that the speaker is talking about, for example mushrooms someone has found or collected.