Questions & Answers about После ужина я съел дольку мандарина.
Why is it после ужина, not после ужин?
Because после requires the genitive case.
- ужин = dinner
- ужина = of dinner / after dinner
So:
- после ужина = after dinner
This is a fixed grammar pattern:
- после работы = after work
- после урока = after the lesson
- после фильма = after the film
What does съел mean, and why not just ел?
Съел is the past tense, masculine singular, perfective form of съесть.
- есть / ел = to eat / was eating, ate in an ongoing or general sense
- съесть / съел = to eat up, finish eating, consume completely
In this sentence, съел shows a completed action: the speaker ate the segment.
Compare:
- Я ел мандарин. = I was eating / I ate a mandarin
- Я съел мандарин. = I ate up a mandarin / finished eating it
So съел is used because the action is presented as completed.
Why is it съел, not съела or съели?