Breakdown of Заказчик то и дело просит обновить память переводов.
просить
to ask
обновить
to update
то и дело
every now and then; repeatedly
заказчик
the client (who commissions work)
Questions & Answers about Заказчик то и дело просит обновить память переводов.
What does то и дело mean here?
То и дело is an idiomatic expression meaning constantly, again and again, every now and then, or repeatedly.
In this sentence, it gives the idea that the client keeps making the same request over and over:
- Заказчик то и дело просит... = The client keeps asking...
It is not literal word-for-word language. Learners should treat то и дело as a fixed phrase.
Why is просит in the present tense if the action happens repeatedly?
In Russian, the present tense often expresses habitual or repeated action, not just something happening right now at this exact moment.
So:
- просит = asks / keeps asking
Because the sentence also contains то и дело, the repeated meaning becomes very clear:
- Заказчик то и дело просит = The client keeps asking repeatedly
Why do we say просит обновить, not просит обновлять?