Я закрыл дверь холодильника, чтобы сохранить холод.

I closed the refrigerator door to keep the cold inside.

Breakdown of Я закрыл дверь холодильника, чтобы сохранить холод.

• я: I
• дверь: the door
• закрыть: to close
• чтобы: in order to
• холод: the cold
• холодильник: the refrigerator
• сохранить: to preserve

Questions & Answers about Я закрыл дверь холодильника, чтобы сохранить холод.

Why is the word холодильника in the genitive case instead of using the nominative холодильник?

In Russian, when one noun qualifies or specifies another (showing possession or association), the dependent noun is placed in the genitive case. Here, дверь холодильника translates to "the door of the refrigerator." The genitive холодильника indicates that the door belongs to the refrigerator.

How does the clause чтобы сохранить холод function in this sentence?

The clause чтобы сохранить холод is a purpose (or result) subordinate clause. It explains why the main action was performed. In this case, it tells us that the door was closed in order to preserve the cold inside the refrigerator. The word чтобы introduces this intention.

Why is the verb сохранить in the infinitive form after чтобы?

In Russian, when чтобы is used to express purpose, it is generally followed by a verb in the infinitive form. This construction clearly indicates the intended outcome of the main action—in this example, that closing the door was meant to preserve or to keep the cold.

What does the past-tense perfective verb закрыл indicate about the action?

The verb закрыл is the past tense, perfective form of закрыть. Using the perfective aspect emphasizes that the action of closing the door was completed. It tells us that the door was definitively closed at that moment.

What role does the noun дверь play in this sentence, and what can you say about its case and gender?

Дверь is a feminine noun that serves as the direct object of the main clause (it is what was closed). In this sentence, it appears in the accusative case. Recognizing the gender and case of nouns is important in Russian for ensuring that adjectives and other modifiers agree correctly with their nouns.

Why is there a comma before чтобы сохранить холод in the sentence?

In Russian punctuation, a comma is used to separate a main clause from a subordinate clause introduced by conjunctions like чтобы. Placing a comma here clarifies that the latter part of the sentence explains the purpose of the action described in the main clause.