После дождя на тротуаре скользко, так что иди осторожнее.

After the rain it’s slippery on the sidewalk, so walk more carefully.

Breakdown of После дождя на тротуаре скользко, так что иди осторожнее.

• на: on
• дождь: the rain
• идти: to walk
• после: after
• тротуар: the sidewalk
• скользко: slippery
• так что: so
• осторожнее: more carefully

Questions & Answers about После дождя на тротуаре скользко, так что иди осторожнее.

Why is it после дождя and not после дождь?

Because после requires the genitive case.

• дождь (nom.) → дождя (gen.)
  So после дождя literally means after (the) rain.

Why is it на тротуаре (ending -е)?

Because на + “location/where?” takes the prepositional case.

• тротуар (base form) → на тротуаре = on the sidewalk / on the pavement (location)

If you were talking about motion onto the sidewalk (“where to?”), you’d use accusative: на тротуар.

What part of speech is скользко? Is it an adjective?

Скользко here is a category of state word (often taught as a “predicative” or “state word”), used in impersonal sentences. It functions like “(it is) slippery.”
You’re not describing a noun directly (like скользкий тротуар = “a slippery sidewalk”); you’re stating a general condition: (там) скользко = “it’s slippery (there).”

Why is there no word for “it is” in на тротуаре скользко?

Russian usually omits the present-tense verb to be (есть) in neutral statements.
So на тротуаре скользко is literally “on the sidewalk (it’s) slippery,” with есть understood but not said.

What does так что mean here, and how is it different from поэтому?

так что means so / so that / therefore, introducing a result or consequence in a fairly conversational way:

• …, так что иди осторожнее. = “…, so walk more carefully.”

поэтому also means therefore/so, but it’s usually a bit more “logical/explicit” and often starts a new clause without implying the same “resulting instruction” feel. In many cases both work, but так что fits very naturally before advice/commands.

Why is there a comma before так что?

Because так что introduces a result clause, and in this structure it’s normally separated by a comma:

• После дождя на тротуаре скользко, так что …

The comma signals that the second part is a consequence of the first.

Why does it say иди and not идёшь or пойдём?

иди is the imperative (command) of идти: (you) go / walk.

• идёшь = “you are going/you go” (statement, not a command)
• пойдём = “let’s go” (1st person plural invitation)

So иди осторожнее is direct advice/command to one person.

Is иди used for both “go” and “walk”? When would I use ехать?

идти / иди is for going on foot (walking).
If the movement is by vehicle, you’d normally use ехать (go by transport):

• После дождя на дороге скользко, так что езжай осторожнее. = “...so drive carefully.”

Why is it осторожнее and not осторожно?

осторожнее is the comparative form: more carefully / more cautiously (often implying “than usual / than you might otherwise”).

• иди осторожно = “walk carefully” (neutral)
• иди осторожнее = “walk more carefully / be extra careful”

Russian often uses the comparative in warnings and advice.

Comparative of what, exactly—an adjective or an adverb?

It’s the comparative form related to осторожный (“careful”) and used adverbially here (describing how to walk). Russian comparatives like осторожнее can work without a separate adverb ending, and the context shows it modifies the verb иди.

Can I say будь осторожнее instead of иди осторожнее?

Yes. The meaning is very close, but the focus shifts slightly:

• иди осторожнее = “walk more carefully” (focus on the action of walking)
• будь осторожнее = “be more careful” (broader caution, not limited to walking)

Both are natural.

Why is the word order После дождя на тротуаре скользко—could it be different?

Yes, Russian word order is flexible. This order is natural because it sets the scene from general to specific:
1) time: После дождя
2) place: на тротуаре
3) condition: скользко

Other orders are possible, but may change emphasis:

• На тротуаре после дождя скользко (emphasizes the location first)

How do I pronounce the tricky parts, especially дождя and скользко?

Key points:

• дождя: the жд cluster is pronounced together; stress is on the last syllable: до-ждЯ.
• скользко: stress on the first syllable: СКОльзко. Also, unstressed о sounds closer to a in many accents (vowel reduction), so it may sound like СКАльзка in fast speech, though it’s spelled скользко.

Is тротуар the same as “sidewalk” everywhere, and is there another common word?

тротуар is the standard word for sidewalk/pavement in Russian. Another common word you may hear (especially in some contexts) is пешеходная дорожка (“pedestrian path”), but тротуар is the direct, everyday match for “sidewalk.”