Не стоит говорить громко в коридоре, когда дети спят.

to speak

Breakdown of Не стоит говорить громко в коридоре, когда дети спят.

• в: in
• не: not
• когда: when

Questions & Answers about Не стоит говорить громко в коридоре, когда дети спят.

What does не стоит mean here, and how is it different from не надо or нельзя?

Не стоит + infinitive is a soft recommendation: it’s not worth / you shouldn’t (really) do it. It often implies “it would be better not to.”

• Не надо = more direct don’t / no need to.
• Нельзя = not allowed / impossible (stronger, more like a prohibition or rule). So Не стоит говорить громко… sounds like a polite, reasonable warning rather than a strict ban.

Why is говорить in the infinitive and not a conjugated verb like не говори(те)?

Because the structure is (не) стоит + infinitive. The “main” predicate is стоит (3rd person singular), and the action you’re advising against is expressed by the infinitive: говорить.

• Не стоит говорить… = general advice / recommendation.
• Не говори! / Не говорите! = a direct command (informal / formal).

Who is the subject of не стоит? It looks like there isn’t one.

In Не стоит говорить…, there is no concrete subject like я/ты/мы. This is an impersonal construction: it expresses a general judgment (“it’s not advisable…”). Russian often uses impersonal phrasing where English might use you (“You shouldn’t…”).