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Повесь шарф в шкаф, чтобы не потерять его.

Повесь шарф в шкаф, чтобы не потерять его.
Hang the scarf in the wardrobe so that you don’t lose it.

Breakdown of Повесь шарф в шкаф, чтобы не потерять его.

в
in
не
not
потерять
to lose
чтобы
so that
его
it
шкаф
wardrobe
повесить
to hang (up)
шарф
scarf
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Questions & Answers about Повесь шарф в шкаф, чтобы не потерять его.

Why is повесь used here—what verb is it and what form?

Повесь is the imperative (command) form of повесить (to hang up, perfective).

  • повесить (perf.) = hang up (and finish the action)
  • Imperative ты-form: повесь = hang it up!
  • Imperative вы-form would be повесьте (polite/plural).
What’s the difference between повесить and вешать? Could I say вешай шарф...?

Yes, you can say Вешай шарф в шкаф..., but it changes the nuance.

  • повесить (perfective) focuses on a single completed result: hang it up (so it ends up hanging).
  • вешать (imperfective) focuses on the process, habit, or repeated action: be hanging / hang (in general).
    In a one-time instruction like this, повесь is the most natural.
Why is шарф in the accusative? Isn’t it just the object?

Exactly—шарф is the direct object of the verb повесь (hang what?), so it stays in the accusative, which for an inanimate masculine noun looks the same as nominative: шарф.

Why does it say в шкаф and not в шкафу?

Because в + accusative is used for movement/direction into something:

  • повесь (куда?) в шкаф = hang it (to where?) into the wardrobe/closet (i.e., put it there).
    If you were describing location (no movement), you’d use в + prepositional:
  • шарф висит (где?) в шкафу = the scarf is hanging (where?) in the wardrobe.
Is в шкаф really correct with повесить? I thought you “hang something in a wardrobe” rather than “into” it.

In Russian, в шкаф is normal because the action implies placing the item into the space of the wardrobe (direction/result). English often prefers in the wardrobe, but Russian expresses it via the destination: в шкаф.
You could also hear повесь шарф на вешалку в шкафу (hang the scarf on a hanger in the wardrobe) if you want to be more explicit.

Why is it чтобы не потерять его—what does чтобы mean here?

Чтобы introduces a purpose clause: in order to / so that.
So чтобы не потерять его = so that you don’t lose it / in order not to lose it.
This is one of the most common ways to express purpose in Russian.

Why is потерять perfective? Could it be не терять?

Both are possible, but the nuance differs:

  • не потерять (perfective) = not to lose it (even once), avoid the event of losing it. This fits a single situation well.
  • не терять (imperfective) = not to be losing it / not to lose it habitually, or avoid losing it in general (more general/ongoing).
    Here, не потерять matches the idea of preventing a one-time loss.
Why is there no comma before чтобы in some Russian sentences, but here there is a comma?

In this sentence, чтобы не потерять его is a dependent clause, so it’s separated by a comma:
Повесь шарф в шкаф, чтобы не потерять его.
As a rule, чтобы-clauses used as purpose clauses are typically set off by a comma.

What does его refer to, and why is it его specifically?

его means him/it (genitive/accusative form of он used as an object). Here it refers to шарф (scarf), which is masculine, so the pronoun is его.
If the object were feminine, you’d use её (e.g., сумку → чтобы не потерять её).
If neuter, его again (e.g., письмо → чтобы не потерять его).

Could I drop его? Is it optional?

Often yes. Russian can omit an obvious object pronoun:

  • Повесь шарф в шкаф, чтобы не потерять.
    This is understandable, but его makes the reference clearer and sounds a bit more complete, especially out of context.
What’s the most natural word order here? Can I move things around?

The given order is very natural. Some variations are possible, with small emphasis changes:

  • Чтобы не потерять его, повесь шарф в шкаф. (focus on purpose first)
  • Повесь в шкаф шарф, чтобы не потерять его. (slight emphasis on destination в шкаф)
    Russian word order is flexible, but neutral instructions often start with the verb: Повесь...
What does the stress look like in this sentence?

Common stresses: повЕсь шарф в шкаф, что́бы не потерЯть егО.
Notes:

  • повЕсь stress is on -е-.
  • потерЯть stress is on -я-.
  • егО (as a pronoun) is stressed on the last syllable.