Breakdown of Эти духи напоминают мне лето, и моя жена пользуется ими только по праздникам.
мой
my
и
and
лето
the summer
праздник
the celebration
Questions & Answers about Эти духи напоминают мне лето, и моя жена пользуется ими только по праздникам.
How do I know духи means perfume here and not spirits/ghosts?
Context tells you. In Russian, духи can mean either perfume or spirits/ghosts. In normal writing, stress is not marked, but the meanings are often distinguished by stress:
- духи́ = perfume
- ду́хи = spirits/ghosts
In this sentence, эти, моя жена, and especially пользуется ими make it clear that the meaning is perfume.
Why is духи plural when English usually says perfume as a singular mass noun?
Because духи in the meaning of perfume is a plural-only noun in Russian. That means Russian treats it grammatically as plural, even when English would often translate it as singular perfume.
So:
- эти духи = literally these perfumes
- but in natural English it can mean this perfume or these perfumes, depending on context
That is why the rest of the sentence also uses plural agreement.
Why are эти and напоминают plural?