Breakdown of Вы обязательно успеете на поезд, если выйдете заранее.
на
for
если
if
вы
you
поезд
the train
выйти
to leave
обязательно
definitely
успеть
to catch
заранее
in advance
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Questions & Answers about Вы обязательно успеете на поезд, если выйдете заранее.
Why are both verbs in the perfective future (успеете, выйдете) instead of imperfective?
Because this talks about one specific future occasion with completed results:
- успеете (perf. future of успеть) = you will manage in time (completed result).
- выйдете (perf. future of выйти) = you will leave (one completed act). Imperfective would be used for processes or habits, e.g. будете успевать (you will be managing habitually) or будете выходить (you will be leaving habitually).
Can I say успеваете instead of успеете?
Not here. Успеваете is present/imperfective and suggests a habitual situation (“you catch it (generally)”). For a one-time future outcome you need успеете. If you want the habitual future, use будете успевать.
Why is it на поезд and not к поезду?
With vehicles, Russian uses на + Accusative to mean “catch/board a specific departure”: успеть на поезд/самолёт/автобус. К + Dative means “by, towards” a time or event, e.g. успеть к началу (“be in time for the start”). Успеть к поезду is unusual and not idiomatic for “catch the train.”
Why на поезд and not в поезд?
With успеть the idiomatic preposition is на. You’ll see на/в both with some boarding verbs (e.g., сесть на/в поезд), but with успеть it’s standardly на поезд.
Is поезд really in the accusative? It looks like nominative.
Yes. Поезд is masculine and inanimate, so its accusative singular is identical to the nominative: на поезд. The preposition на plus motion tells you it’s accusative.
What exactly does обязательно mean here, and where can it go in the sentence?
Here обязательно means “definitely/without fail.” Neutral positions:
- Вы обязательно успеете на поезд...
- Обязательно вы успеете на поезд... (more emphatic)
- Вы успеете на поезд обязательно... (end position adds reassurance) It modifies the certainty, not obligation.
Why выйдете and not уйдёте, поедете, or выедете?
- выйти = go out (typically on foot) from a place/building; neutral for “leave (home/office).”
- уйти = go away/leave (on foot), focusing on departure, not direction.
- поехать = set off by vehicle.
- выехать = drive out/leave by vehicle. Choose based on how you leave. If you’re leaving by car, если выедете заранее fits better.
Is заранее the same as раньше or пораньше?
- заранее = beforehand, in advance (planned, with a buffer).
- раньше = earlier (comparative, relative to some time).
- пораньше = a bit earlier (colloquial, gentler). All can work, but заранее emphasizes planning ahead.
Why not выйдите? They look so similar to выйдете.
- выйдете = 2nd person plural future (you will leave).
- выйдите = imperative (leave!). The sentence needs a conditional future, not a command.
Could I say если будете выходить заранее instead of если выйдете заранее?
Yes, but the meaning changes:
- если выйдете заранее = if you leave early (this time).
- если будете выходить заранее = if you make a habit of leaving early.
Can I put the если clause first? What about punctuation?
Yes: Если выйдете заранее, вы обязательно успеете на поезд. A comma separates the main and subordinate clauses in either order.
Can I drop Вы?
Yes, Russian often omits subject pronouns: Обязательно успеете на поезд, если выйдете заранее. Keeping Вы can sound a bit more personal/emphatic.
How would it look with informal singular “you”?
Ты обязательно успеешь на поезд, если выйдешь заранее.
Any quick pronunciation/stress tips?
- Вы обяза́тельно успе́ете на по́езд, если вы́йдете зара́нее.
- Stresses: обяза́тельно, успе́ете, по́езд, вы́йдете, зара́нее.
- Note: final д in поезд is devoiced: [по́ест]. выйдете: [ˈvɨjdʲɪtʲe]; успеете: [ʊˈspʲe(j)ɪtʲe].