Breakdown of Можно выключить уведомления на телефоне, чтобы ночью было тихо?
быть
to be
телефон
the phone
на
on
тихо
quiet
Questions & Answers about Можно выключить уведомления на телефоне, чтобы ночью было тихо?
What does Можно + infinitive mean here, grammatically? Is there an implied subject like you?
Можно is an impersonal modal word meaning it’s possible / it’s allowed / could one…. In Можно выключить уведомления…? there’s no explicit subject; it’s understood from context (often you, sometimes we). It’s a common polite way to ask or suggest an action without directly saying Ты/Вы.
Is this sentence a question asking for permission, or a suggestion/request?
It can be either, depending on context and intonation:
- As permission: Is it okay if (you/I) turn off notifications…?
- As a gentle request/suggestion: Could you turn off notifications…? The impersonal Можно…? keeps it soft and indirect.
Why is it выключить and not выключать? What aspect is being used?
Выключить is perfective: it focuses on completing a single action (turn them off once).
Выключать would be imperfective and would sound like a repeated/habitual action (to be turning off / to turn off regularly) or process-focused. In a one-time request like this, perfective is the default.
Could I also say Можно отключить уведомления…? What’s the difference between and ?