Breakdown of Если воспаление уже прошло, врач поставит новую пломбу без боли.
новый
new
если
if
врач
the doctor
боль
the pain
Questions & Answers about Если воспаление уже прошло, врач поставит новую пломбу без боли.
Why does the sentence start with Если and why is there a comma?
Если means if and introduces a conditional clause. In Russian, when an если-clause comes first, it is normally separated from the main clause by a comma:
- Если воспаление уже прошло, = If the inflammation has already gone away,
- врач поставит новую пломбу без боли. = the doctor will put in a new filling without pain.
If you reverse the order, the comma usually remains:
- Врач поставит новую пломбу без боли, если воспаление уже прошло.
Why is прошло in the neuter form? What is the subject of that clause?
The subject is воспаление (inflammation), which is a neuter noun in Russian. Past tense verbs agree in gender/number with their subject, so:
- воспаление (neuter singular) → прошло (neuter singular past)
Compare:
- боль прошла (the pain went away; боль is feminine)
- симптомы прошли (the symptoms went away; plural)
What does уже прошло mean exactly? Why use уже?