Улыбнувшись, я пошёл в кафе, чтобы позавтракать.

Smiling, I went to a cafe to have breakfast.

Breakdown of Улыбнувшись, я пошёл в кафе, чтобы позавтракать.

• я: I
• в: to
• пойти: to go
• кафе: the cafe
• чтобы: in order to
• улыбнуться: to smile
• позавтракать: to have breakfast

Questions & Answers about Улыбнувшись, я пошёл в кафе, чтобы позавтракать.

What is the function of the word Улыбнувшись at the beginning of the sentence?

Улыбнувшись is a verbal adverb (деепричастие) that indicates an action performed before the main action. It translates roughly as “having smiled” or “after smiling”, providing background information about the state or manner in which the main action occurred. Its placement at the beginning of the sentence and the following comma are typical in Russian to separate such introductory phrases from the main clause.

How is the verb пошёл formed, and what does it tell us about the subject and aspect?

Пошёл is the past tense, masculine singular form of the perfective verb пойти, which means “to go”. The perfective aspect indicates that the action is viewed as completed. Note that because it is masculine, it implies that the subject я is male; if the subject were female, the form would be пошла.

What role does the construction чтобы позавтракать play in the sentence?

The phrase чтобы позавтракать expresses purpose. The particle чтобы introduces a purpose clause that tells us why the action takes place—in this case, “in order to have breakfast.” The infinitive позавтракать clearly states the intended outcome or goal of going to the cafe.

Why is there a comma after Улыбнувшись?

In Russian punctuation, when a verbal adverbial phrase (деепричастный оборот) like Улыбнувшись precedes the main clause, it is standard to separate it with a comma. This comma helps to distinguish the preparatory action from the main action described in the sentence.

How is the preposition в used with кафе, and what does it indicate?

The preposition в is used here to indicate movement towards a destination. В кафе means “to the cafe.” Even though кафе is a neuter noun with an unchanged form in different cases, the use of в directs us toward the location the subject is moving to, much like the English preposition “to” in this context.