Консультант сказал, что вы можете примерить джинсы и юбку.

The consultant said that you can try on jeans and a skirt.

Breakdown of Консультант сказал, что вы можете примерить джинсы и юбку.

• и: and
• вы: you
• сказать: to say
• что: that
• мочь: to be able
• джинсы: the jeans
• примерить: to try on
• юбка: the skirt
• консультант: the consultant

Questions & Answers about Консультант сказал, что вы можете примерить джинсы и юбку.

Why is джинсы in the plural but юбку in the singular? And why are they in different forms?

Both words are in the accusative case because the verb примерить is transitive and takes direct objects.
• Джинсы is a plural noun. For inanimate nouns in Russian, the accusative form is the same as the nominative, so джинсы stays джинсы.
• Юбка is feminine singular. Its nominative ending -а changes to -у in the accusative, giving юбку.

Why is the verb примерить used instead of примерять?

Russian has two aspects for many verbs:
• Примерить is perfective. It describes a one-time, completed action (“to try on” once).
• Примерять is imperfective. It implies a repeated or ongoing action.
In a shop context you grant permission to try on the item a single time, so you choose the perfective примерить.

Why does the sentence use вы можете instead of ты можешь?

Russian distinguishes formal and informal “you.”
• Вы можете is the polite (or plural) form of “you can.” It’s used in formal contexts or when addressing more than one person.
• Ты можешь is the informal singular form, reserved for friends, family, or very close acquaintances. A consultant in a store will normally use вы to be polite.

What is the function of что in this sentence?

Что introduces a subordinate clause in reported speech. The structure is:
[Main clause] , что [Subordinate clause]
Here, Консультант сказал is the main clause and что вы можете примерить джинсы и юбку is the subordinate clause explaining what was said.

Why is сказал in the masculine past tense? What if the consultant were female?

In Russian, past-tense verbs agree in gender (and number) with their subject.
• For a male consultant: Консультант сказал.
• For a female consultant: Консультантка сказала (or консультант сказала if you still call her консультант).
• For plural consultants: Консультанты сказали.

Why isn’t there any preposition before джинсы and юбку?

Both джинсы and юбку are direct objects of примерить, so they simply take the accusative case without a preposition. In Russian, only certain verbs or expressions require prepositions; with transitive verbs like примерить, you use the direct object form alone.