Breakdown of Я убедился, что мой компьютер работает быстро.
я
I
мой
my
что
that
быстро
fast
работать
to work
компьютер
the computer
убедиться
to make sure
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Questions & Answers about Я убедился, что мой компьютер работает быстро.
What does the verb убедился mean, and why is it used in its reflexive form here?
The verb убедился is the masculine singular past tense form of the perfective reflexive verb убедиться, meaning “I made sure” or “I confirmed”. The reflexive ending -ся indicates that the subject verified or became convinced for himself rather than convincing someone else.
Why is the main verb in the past tense (убедился) while the subordinate clause uses the present tense (работает)?
The main clause Я убедился is in the past tense because it describes a completed action—the moment when the speaker confirmed something. The subordinate clause что мой компьютер работает быстро is in the present tense because it states a fact or condition that is currently true. This usage is common when the result or the fact verified remains valid at the time of speaking.
What role does the word что play in this sentence?
The word что functions as a subordinating conjunction that introduces the subordinate clause. It connects the main clause (the act of confirming) with the clause that explains what was confirmed (that the computer works quickly).
Why is the reflexive form убедился used instead of a non-reflexive form like убедил?
In Russian, убедиться is inherently a reflexive verb and is used to express that the subject became convinced or confirmed something for himself. Using убедил would change the meaning entirely, implying that the subject convinced someone else rather than verifying something personally.
How does the possessive pronoun мой agree with the noun компьютер in this sentence?
The possessive pronoun мой means “my” and is used to indicate ownership. In Russian, possessive adjectives must agree with the noun in gender, number, and case. Since компьютер is a masculine singular noun in the nominative case, the form мой is correctly used here.
Is the comma before что required, and why is punctuation important in this sentence?
Yes, the comma before что is required. In Russian, a comma is used to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause introduced by что. This punctuation clarifies the sentence structure, ensuring that it is clear which part of the sentence is the main statement and which part provides additional information.