Небо становится красным на закате.

The sky turns red at sunset.

Breakdown of Небо становится красным на закате.

• красный: red
• небо: the sky
• становиться: to become
• на: at
• закат: the sunset

Questions & Answers about Небо становится красным на закате.

What is the role and meaning of the verb становится in this sentence?

Становится is the present tense form of the verb становиться, which means “to become” or “to turn.” It denotes a change of state, indicating that the sky is in the process of turning red at sunset.

Why is the adjective красным in the instrumental case rather than in the nominative?

In Russian, when using linking verbs like становиться to indicate a change of state, the predicate adjective is placed in the instrumental case. Thus, красным (the instrumental form of красный, meaning “red”) is used to show the new state of the subject небо.

What does the phrase на закате mean, and why is the preposition на used here?

The phrase на закате translates as “at sunset.” The preposition на is commonly used in Russian to indicate time or location. In this context, it specifies the time of day during which the sky becomes red.

How does the overall structure of the sentence contribute to its meaning?

The sentence is structured into three parts: • Небо is the subject, meaning “the sky.” • становится красным serves as the predicate, where становится indicates a change in state and красным (in the instrumental case) describes the new state. • на закате is a prepositional phrase that tells us when the change occurs. Together, these elements clearly describe how the sky turns red during sunset.

Are there alternative ways to express this idea in Russian, and if so, what are they?

Yes, there are alternative expressions. For example, one could say: • На закате небо краснеет (“At sunset, the sky is reddening”) to emphasize the gradual process. • На закате небо окутывается красным цветом (“At sunset, the sky is enveloped in red”) to add a poetic nuance. Each version maintains the core idea but may subtly shift the focus or tone.