Если что‑то непонятно, спрашивай сразу.

Russian usually does not use a present-tense form of to be in sentences like this.

So:

• что‑то непонятно = something is unclear / not understandable

Literally, Russian is more like:

• If something unclear, ask right away.

This is completely normal in Russian. The idea of is is understood automatically.

Here непонятно is not describing a noun directly the way an adjective like непонятный would. It is being used in a predicative way, meaning something like it is unclear.

Compare:

• непонятный вопрос = an unclear question
• мне непонятно = it is unclear to me / I don’t understand

In Если что‑то непонятно, the idea is:

• If something is unclear

So непонятно is the correct form here.

Что‑то means something.

So:

• Если что‑то непонятно = If something is unclear

It is an indefinite pronoun:

• что = what
• что‑то = something

In this sentence it refers to anything you don’t understand.

Because Russian indefinite pronouns with ‑то are normally written with a hyphen.

Examples:

• кто‑то = someone
• что‑то = something
• где‑то = somewhere

So что‑то must be written with a hyphen.

Because Если что‑то непонятно is a subordinate clause introduced by если = if.

Russian normally separates this kind of clause with a comma:

• Если что‑то непонятно, спрашивай сразу.

That comma works much like in English:

• If something is unclear, ask right away.

This is a very common learner question because it involves aspect.

• спрашивай = imperfective imperative
• спроси = perfective imperative

In this sentence, спрашивай gives the sense of a general instruction or whenever this happens, do this:

• If something is unclear, ask right away.

It sounds like an ongoing rule or invitation.

Спроси would sound more like ask once / ask in that situation as a completed action. It is also possible in some contexts, but спрашивай is very natural for advice like this.

A rough contrast:

• Если что‑то непонятно, спрашивай. = If anything is unclear, ask. Don’t hesitate to ask.
• Если что‑то непонятно, спроси. = If something is unclear, ask (then ask once and get it clarified).

Both can work, but спрашивай often feels more like a standing invitation.

It is informal singular.

Russian imperatives change depending on who you are speaking to:

• спрашивай = speak to one person informally
• спрашивайте = speak to one person formally or more than one person

So this sentence is addressed to:

• a friend
• a student
• a child
• someone you are on informal ты terms with

A formal/plural version would be:

• Если что‑то непонятно, спрашивайте сразу.

Сразу means right away, immediately, or at once.

In this sentence it adds the idea:

• ask immediately
• don’t wait
• ask as soon as something is unclear

So the speaker is encouraging quick questions instead of waiting until later.

Yes, absolutely.

That means:

• If something is unclear to you, ask right away.

Adding тебе makes the sentence more explicit by showing to whom it is unclear.

Compare:

• Если что‑то непонятно, спрашивай сразу. = general, natural, very common
• Если тебе что‑то непонятно, спрашивай сразу. = a bit more explicit: if something is unclear to you

Both are correct.

Usually here you write it as one word: непонятно.

That is the standard spelling when it means unclear or not understandable as a single idea.

• Если что‑то непонятно... = correct normal spelling

Writing не понятно separately is only used in certain contrastive contexts, such as when the speaker strongly means not clear, but something else. That is not the case here.

So for this sentence, use:

• непонятно

In Russian, subject pronouns are often omitted when the verb ending already shows who is meant.

Here спрашивай is an imperative form, so it already means:

• you ask / ask!

Russian does not need to add ты unless the speaker wants emphasis.

So:

• Спрашивай сразу. = Ask right away.

Adding ты would sound marked or emphatic:

• Ты спрашивай сразу. = something like You make sure to ask right away.

It can naturally correspond to both in English.

Russian often uses непонятно in a broad way:

• something is unclear
• something is confusing
• you don’t understand something

So depending on context, good English translations include:

• If something is unclear, ask right away.
• If you don’t understand something, ask right away.

All of these capture the idea well.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible, though the original order is very natural.

Original:

• Если что‑то непонятно, спрашивай сразу.

You may also hear:

• Спрашивай сразу, если что‑то непонятно.

That means the same thing, but the focus changes slightly. The original starts with the condition if something is unclear, while the second starts with the instruction ask right away.

Both are correct.

Yes, very much so. It sounds natural and common.

A teacher, tutor, coworker, or friend could all say it. It gives a friendly instruction:

• If anything is unclear, ask immediately.

It is a very typical classroom or explanatory phrase in Russian.