Breakdown of По утрам моя жена собирается делать йогу, но иногда просто спит дольше.
мой
my
утро
the morning
но
but
делать
to do
Questions & Answers about По утрам моя жена собирается делать йогу, но иногда просто спит дольше.
Why is it по утрам, not something like по утром or just утром?
По утрам is a fixed pattern: по + dative plural of a time word to mean “on Xs / in the Xs (habitually)”.
- утро → dative plural: утрам
- So по утрам = “in the mornings / on mornings (as a habit)”.
Compare:
- утром – “in the morning (on a particular morning / generally today)”
- по утрам – “in the mornings (regularly, on most mornings)”
Other common examples:
- по вечерам – in the evenings
- по субботам – on Saturdays
- по выходным – on weekends
What nuance does по утрам add compared with just утром?
Утром usually refers to a single morning or a non‑specific “in the morning”:
- Она утром делает йогу. – She does yoga in the morning (could be talking about one day or a regular routine, context decides).
По утрам strongly suggests repeated, habitual action:
- Она по утрам делает йогу. – She does yoga in the mornings (as a regular habit).
In your sentence, по утрам emphasizes that we’re talking about what typically happens on most mornings.
What exactly does собирается mean here?