Breakdown of Я стараюсь держать скорость ниже, чем обычно, потому что у школы много пешеходов.
я
I
школа
the school
много
many
потому что
because
Questions & Answers about Я стараюсь держать скорость ниже, чем обычно, потому что у школы много пешеходов.
Why is Я used here—can it be omitted?
Yes, я can often be omitted in Russian because the verb ending already shows the subject (стараюсь = I try).
But keeping я is normal when you want to sound more explicit, contrastive, or slightly emphatic (e.g., I try to keep the speed down—maybe others don’t).
What does стараюсь mean exactly, and why is it in this form?
стараюсь is the 1st person singular, present tense of стараться (to try / to make an effort).
It literally conveys “I’m making an effort” / “I try (to).” Russian commonly uses this verb to express intentional effort rather than just an attempt.
Why is the next verb держать in the infinitive?
After стараться, Russian uses an infinitive to say what you’re trying to do:
стараться + infinitive → стараюсь держать = I try to keep / I’m trying to keep.
Why is it держать скорость, not something like “drive slower”?