Breakdown of Едва электричка подошла к перрону, как люди встали и начали забирать сумки.
и
and
к
to
человек
the person
начать
to begin
Questions & Answers about Едва электричка подошла к перрону, как люди встали и начали забирать сумки.
What does едва ... как mean in this sentence?
In this pattern, едва ... как means as soon as ..., hardly ... when, or no sooner ... than.
So:
- Едва электричка подошла к перрону, как люди встали... = As soon as the train pulled up to the platform, people stood up...
A very important point: едва by itself often means barely, but in the construction едва ..., как ... it introduces two actions that happen almost immediately one after the other.
What exactly is электричка?
Электричка is a very common Russian word for a local electric commuter train or suburban train.
It is:
- feminine noun
- colloquial but completely standard in everyday speech
- different from a long-distance train (поезд)
So this sentence is talking about a commuter-type train arriving at the platform.
Why is it подошла, not подошёл or подошло?