Learn Hardcore Russian: Теперь я лучше говорю по-русски.

Теперь means now. It sets the time frame, indicating that your current ability to speak Russian has improved compared to how you spoke in the past. It signals a change or progress over time.

Why is лучше placed before the verb говорю, and what does it tell us?

Лучше is a comparative adverb meaning better. Placing it before говорю (I speak) emphasizes that the manner of speaking has improved. In Russian, adverbs that modify the verb often appear directly before it to highlight the quality or degree of the action.

Why do we use по-русски to express “in Russian” instead of another construction like на русском языке?

In everyday Russian, по-русски is the standard way to say “in Russian” when referring to speaking a language. This adverbial form, created with the prefix по- and the ending -ски, is common for languages (for example, по-английски means “in English”). While на русском языке is grammatically correct, it is more formal and less frequently used in casual conversation.

What does the verb form говорю indicate about the action in the sentence?

Говорю is the first-person singular present tense form of говорить (to speak). It indicates that the statement is about your current ability or habit. Even though the improvement happened over time, the present tense is used to describe your current state of speaking Russian.

Is the comparison in this sentence explicitly stated, and how is it understood?

The comparison isn’t spelled out with an extra phrase like “than before,” but it is implicit. The use of лучше (better) automatically cues the listener or reader that you are comparing your current ability to your past performance. The context suggests that you have made progress in speaking Russian.