Breakdown of В нашем доме начали сортировать мусор, и появилась отдельная корзина для переработки.
дом
the house
в
in
и
and
для
for
Questions & Answers about В нашем доме начали сортировать мусор, и появилась отдельная корзина для переработки.
In the phrase «В нашем доме», does дом mean “house” or “apartment building”?
In this context «в нашем доме» usually means “in our apartment building” (the building where you live with other families).
Russian дом is broader than English house:
- дом = any residential building (a detached house, a block of flats, etc.)
- Context decides. Sorting trash and having a special bin is typically something done in a shared building, so it’s naturally understood as “our building / our block” here, not just a single-family house.
There is no subject in «начали сортировать мусор». Who is actually “starting to sort the trash”?
Russian often leaves the subject out when it’s obvious or unimportant.
«Начали сортировать мусор» literally is “(they) started sorting the trash,” where “they” could mean:
- the residents of the building,
- the building management,
- or people in general in that building.
This is a common pattern: a 3rd person plural past tense (начали) with no explicit subject, implying “they (some people)” without naming them.
Why is «сортировать» in the infinitive after «начали»? Could you use another form?