Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Russian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Сделай паузу.
Why is the subject pronoun ты omitted in Сделай паузу?
In Russian imperatives, the verb ending already marks the person. Сделай ends in ‑ай, which signals “you” (singular, informal). Adding ты would be redundant, so it’s normally dropped.
What form of the verb is Сделай, and why is it perfective?
Сделай is the imperative of the perfective verb сделать (“to do/make (once, to completion)”). A perfective imperative says “complete this action”—here, “complete a pause.” If you used the imperfective imperative делай, it would imply a repeated or ongoing action (“pause repeatedly” or “keep pausing”), which sounds odd in this context.
What case is паузу, and why does it take that ending?
Пауза is a feminine noun of the first declension. In Сделай паузу, it’s the direct object of сделай, so it’s in the accusative singular. For feminine first-declension nouns, the accusative singular ending is ‑у (пауза → паузу).
How would you make this command more polite or plural?
To address multiple people or speak formally, use the plural/formal imperative ending: Сделайте паузу. That softens the tone and clearly targets more than one person or shows respect.
Can you use делай паузу instead, and how would the meaning change?
Yes, Делай паузу is the imperfective imperative of делать, but it suggests an ongoing or habitual action (“keep taking pauses”). It’s less natural if you want someone to pause right now.
Where does the stress fall in пауза, and does it ever shift?
The stress is on the first syllable: PAU-za. It doesn’t shift in the singular forms (пауза, паузу) or the plural (паузы, пауз).
Are there any synonyms for Сделай паузу?
Yes. You could say Передохни (imperfective imperative of передохнуть, “rest briefly”) which is more colloquial, or Отдохни (“have a rest”), though отдохни often implies a longer break. Each carries slightly different nuance.