Question 1

Why is there a comma before что?

Accepted Answer

In Russian, you put a comma before что when it introduces a subordinate clause (here the content of “говорит”). So Мама всегда говорит, что… splits the main clause from the “that‑clause.”

Question 2

What is the function of что in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Here что is a conjunction meaning “that”, linking the reporting verb говорит (“says”) to the message she conveys: “that one must eat fruit every day.”

Question 3

What does нужно mean and why is it used here?

Accepted Answer

Нужно is an impersonal modal word meaning “it is necessary.” In Russian, you often express necessity or obligation this way, without a personal subject:
• Нужно + infinitive = “one must …”  
• No explicit subject (“you/we/they”) is needed.

Question 4

Why is нужно followed by the infinitive есть?

Accepted Answer

After impersonal modals like нужно, you always use the infinitive form of the verb (here есть = “to eat”). That’s how you form “it is necessary to eat”.

Question 5

Could we use надо instead of нужно?

Accepted Answer

Yes, надо is a colloquial synonym for нужно. Both mean “one must.”  
Example: Мама всегда говорит, что надо есть фрукты каждый день.

Question 6

Why is фрукты in the accusative plural and why isn’t there an article?

Accepted Answer

1. Фрукты is the direct object of есть, so it takes the accusative case.  
2. Russian has no articles (a/an/the), so you simply say the noun in the needed case.

Question 7

What does каждый день mean exactly, and why two words?

Accepted Answer

Каждый день literally means “every day.”  
• каждый = “each,” день = “day.”  
You keep them separate; together they express a repeated daily action.

Question 8

Why is говорит in the imperfective form?

Accepted Answer

Говорит (imperfective) indicates a habitual or repeated action: “Mom always says….” If you used perfective (сказала), you’d imply a one‑time event: “Mom said (once)…”

Question 9

How flexible is the word order? Could I put всегда at the end?

Accepted Answer

Russian word order is fairly flexible, but adverbs of frequency like всегда typically sit near the verb or at the start:
• Мама всегда говорит… (common)  
• Мама говорит всегда, что… (less common, sounds marked)  
Putting всегда at the end (Мама говорит, что нужно есть фрукты каждый день всегда) sounds awkward.

Question 10

What’s the difference between есть and кушать?

Accepted Answer

Both mean “to eat,” but:  
• есть is the neutral, general verb.  
• кушать is more colloquial/polite, often used with kids or in friendly contexts.  
Here есть is perfectly natural for “to eat fruit.”

Мама всегда говорит, что нужно есть фрукты каждый день.

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