Вчера я болел, но сегодня я поправился.

Yesterday I was sick, but today I have recovered.

Breakdown of Вчера я болел, но сегодня я поправился.

• я: I
• вчера: yesterday
• сегодня: today
• но: but
• поправиться: to recover
• болеть: to be sick

Questions & Answers about Вчера я болел, но сегодня я поправился.

What is the difference between the verb forms болел and поправился in this sentence?

болел is the past tense form of the imperfective verb болеть, which describes a state or ongoing condition (being sick) without implying completion. In contrast, поправился is the past tense form of the perfective verb поправиться, indicating that the action (recovering) has been completed. This contrast shows that the speaker was in a state of illness yesterday and has now finished recovering.

What does the reflexive suffix -ся in поправился signify?

The suffix -ся is a reflexive marker that indicates the action of the verb is performed by the subject on itself. In the case of поправился, it means that the recovery is something that happened to the speaker by their own process rather than being done by someone or something else. This is an integral part of the verb and changes its meaning accordingly.

Why is the conjunction но used in the sentence instead of a word like и?

The conjunction но means “but” and is used to express contrast. Here, it links two clauses that show a marked change: the speaker was sick yesterday, yet today the speaker has recovered. Using и (which means “and”) would merely add two pieces of information without emphasizing the shift between the two states.

How do the time expressions Вчера and сегодня function in the sentence?

The time expressions Вчера (“yesterday”) and сегодня (“today”) establish the timeline for the actions. Вчера modifies the clause with болел, clearly indicating that the state of being sick occurred in the past. Сегодня modifies the clause with поправился, letting the listener know that the recovery is a current or completed condition relative to today. Their placement helps clarify the sequence of events.

How would the sentence change if it were spoken by a female speaker?

In Russian, past tense verbs agree in gender with the subject. For a female speaker, болел changes to болела and поправился changes to поправилась. The sentence would then read: Вчера я болела, но сегодня я поправилась. This gender agreement is essential in Russian grammar for accuracy and natural usage.