Breakdown of Мне пора бы готовиться к зачёту по истории.
я
I
по
on
готовиться
to prepare
история
the history
Questions & Answers about Мне пора бы готовиться к зачёту по истории.
Why is it мне and not я?
Because пора is used in a pattern where the person is put in the dative case.
So Russian says something more like:
- Мне пора = It is time for me
- literally, something like To me, it is time
This is why you get мне instead of nominative я.
Other examples:
- Нам пора идти. = It’s time for us to go.
- Тебе пора спать. = It’s time for you to sleep.
What does пора mean here?
Пора means it is time, it’s time now, or the time has come.
In this sentence, Мне пора... means It’s time for me to...
It is a very common Russian structure:
- Мне пора уходить. = It’s time for me to leave.
- Ему пора работать. = It’s time for him to work.
So пора is not a verb here in the same way English uses is; it functions as a predicate word expressing that the right or necessary time has come.
What does the little word бы add to the sentence?