Итак, мы уже закончили урок.

So, we have already finished the lesson.

Breakdown of Итак, мы уже закончили урок.

• мы: we
• урок: the lesson
• уже: already
• закончить: to finish
• итак: so

Questions & Answers about Итак, мы уже закончили урок.

What does Итак mean in this sentence, and how is it used?

Итак is a discourse marker that translates roughly as “so,” “thus,” or “alright then.” It’s used at the beginning of a sentence to:

• Sum up what has come before
• Signal a transition or conclusion
• Introduce the next point
  In writing and speech it’s usually followed by a comma: Итак, …

Why is мы included here? Can it be omitted?

Russian is a “pro-drop” language: subject pronouns like мы (we) are often dropped because the verb ending already shows person and number. Here, мы is included to:

• Clarify the subject (we, as opposed to they or I)
• Add a bit of emphasis or friendliness
  You can omit it if the context makes it clear:
  • Итак, уже закончили урок. → “So, (we) have already finished the lesson.”

What does уже mean, and why is it placed before закончили?

Уже means “already”, indicating that the action happened earlier or sooner than expected. In simple past constructions without auxiliary verbs, уже typically goes directly before the verb:
• мы уже закончили (“we already finished”).
If you moved it elsewhere, you’d change emphasis or sound unnatural:
• мы закончили уже урок – possible, but less common in neutral speech.

Why is закончили (perfective past) used instead of the imperfective?

Russian verbs have two aspects:
• Imperfective (заканчивать) for ongoing, habitual, or repeated actions
• Perfective (закон­чить) for single, completed actions
Since the sentence states that the lesson is finished, the perfective past закончили is required to convey completion (“we have finished”).

What case is урок in, and why?

Урок is the direct object of the verb закончить, so it takes the accusative singular. Because урок is an inanimate masculine noun, its nominative and accusative forms are identical:
• Nominative sg. – урок
• Accusative sg. – урок

How do you pronounce урок, and where is the stress?

Урок is pronounced [uˈrok], with stress on the second syllable:
u-ROK

Can Итак be omitted, and what changes if you remove it?

Yes. Removing Итак yields a perfectly fine, straightforward statement:
• Мы уже закончили урок. (“We have already finished the lesson.”)
Without Итак, you lose the “transition” or “summing-up” flavor—it becomes simply a factual statement rather than a segue to what comes next.

What’s the difference between Итак and так что?

Both can translate as “so” or “thus,” but:

• Итак is more formal/literary, used to summarize or introduce conclusions.
• Так что is colloquial, linking cause and effect within or between clauses (e.g., “I overslept, так что I’m late”).
  You’d choose Итак for presentations, essays, lectures; так что for everyday speech.