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Не забудь оставить чаевые официанту после ужина.

Не забудь оставить чаевые официанту после ужина.
Don’t forget to leave a tip for the waiter after dinner.

Breakdown of Не забудь оставить чаевые официанту после ужина.

не
not
ужин
the dinner
после
after
забыть
to forget
оставить
to leave
официант
the waiter
чаевые
the tip
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Questions & Answers about Не забудь оставить чаевые официанту после ужина.

Why is Не забудь used instead of Не забывай?

Both mean Don’t forget, but they differ in nuance/aspect:

  • Не забудь = perfective imperative: don’t forget (this one specific time / make sure you do it).
  • Не забывай = imperfective imperative: don’t forget (in general / habitually / repeatedly). In this sentence, it’s a one-time reminder about leaving a tip after dinner, so Не забудь fits best.
What grammatical form is забудь?

забудь is the imperative (command/request form) of the verb забыть (to forget, perfective).
It’s the 2nd person singular imperative, used with ты (informal you), even though ты is not stated.

How would I say the same thing more politely (to someone you address as вы)?

Use the plural/polite imperative:

  • Не забудьте оставить чаевые официанту после ужина. Everything else stays the same; only забудь → забудьте changes.
Why is оставить used (perfective) and not оставлять (imperfective)?

оставить is perfective and points to a completed single action: to leave (a tip) once.
оставлять (imperfective) would sound like a general instruction or repeated action, e.g. Don’t forget to leave tips (as a habit).

Why is чаевые plural? Is there a singular form?

чаевые is a noun that is normally used in the plural only (like English tips in many contexts).
You typically don’t use a singular чаевое for “a tip” in everyday speech. People say:

  • оставить чаевые = to leave a tip / tips
What case is официанту, and why?

официанту is dative singular from официант (waiter).
With оставить чаевые кому? (leave tips to whom? / for whom?), Russian commonly uses the dative to mark the recipient/beneficiary:

  • официанту = to/for the waiter
Could it also be оставить чаевые официанта (genitive)?

Not in this meaning. официанта (genitive/accusative) would normally mean (the) waiter as a direct object, which doesn’t fit with leave tips.
For tipping, the natural construction is:

  • оставить чаевые официанту (dative recipient)
Why is it после ужина and not после ужин or после ужином?

The preposition после requires the genitive case:

  • ужин (nominative) → ужина (genitive) So после ужина literally means after (the) dinner.
Is после ужина more like “after dinner” or “after the dinner”?
It can be either, depending on context. Russian often omits articles because it doesn’t have them. Here it naturally corresponds to English after dinner (after the meal), but it can also mean after the dinner if a specific dinner is implied.
What’s the word order doing here—could I move parts around?

Yes, Russian word order is flexible, but it affects emphasis. Neutral here is:

  • Не забудь оставить чаевые официанту после ужина. Other possible variants:
  • После ужина не забудь оставить чаевые официанту. (emphasizes the timing: after dinner)
  • Не забудь после ужина оставить чаевые официанту. (also highlights “after dinner” a bit earlier) All are grammatically fine; the original sounds very natural.
How is this sentence pronounced and where is the stress?

Approximate pronunciation + stress (stressed syllable in CAPS):

  • Не забУДЬ оставить чаЕвые официАнту пОсле Ужина. Notes:
  • чаевые: stress is on -Е- → чаЕвые
  • официанту: stress on -А- → официАнту
  • после: пОсле
  • ужина: stress on the first syllable → Ужина
Does Не забудь sound harsh? Is it a command?

It’s an imperative, but it usually sounds like a friendly reminder, not harsh—especially among friends/family (informal ты).
If you want it softer, you can add:

  • Пожалуйста, не забудь оставить чаевые официанту после ужина. (Please don’t forget…)
Can чаевые be replaced by another word?

чаевые is the standard word for a tip / tips. In casual speech you might also hear:

  • на чай (literally for tea) in expressions like оставить на чай = to leave a tip But оставить чаевые is the clearest and most neutral.