Breakdown of Каждый сотрудник обязан соблюдать правила компании.
каждый
every
правило
the rule
сотрудник
the employee
обязан соблюдать
must follow
компания
the company
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Каждый сотрудник обязан соблюдать правила компании.
What does сотрудник mean in this sentence?
Сотрудник translates to employee or staff member. In this context, it refers to an individual working at the company.
Why is обязан used in this sentence, and could it be replaced by должен?
Обязан expresses a formal, binding obligation—often used in official or legal contexts. Although должен can also mean "must" or "has to," обязан tends to emphasize that the requirement is imposed by a rule or regulation, making it a more appropriate choice for company policies.
What does соблюдать mean, and why is it in the infinitive form here?
Соблюдать means to follow, to comply with, or to adhere to. It is used in its infinitive form because Russian modal constructions—like обязан followed by an action—require the verb that expresses the action to remain in the infinitive.
Why does the sentence use каждый instead of все, and what nuance does that bring?
Каждый translates to every, emphasizing that the obligation applies individually to each employee. Using все (meaning "all") would focus on the group as a whole rather than highlighting that each employee, in their individual capacity, must adhere to the rules.
How is правила компании structured in terms of grammatical cases, and why?
In правила компании, правила functions as the direct object of соблюдать and is in the accusative case (which in the plural looks the same as the nominative). Компании is in the genitive case, indicating possession—meaning these are the rules of the company. This structure is typical in Russian for showing that something belongs to or is prescribed by an entity.