Breakdown of В этом кафе можно заказать что угодно, от супа до десерта.
Questions & Answers about В этом кафе можно заказать что угодно, от супа до десерта.
Why is it в этом кафе, not в это кафе?
Because в этом кафе means in this café as a location, not motion toward it.
Russian uses в with two different cases:
- Prepositional for location: в кафе = in the café
- Accusative for motion: в кафе / в это кафе = into this café / to this café
So here:
- в этом кафе = in this café
- в это кафе would suggest movement: into this café
The sentence is describing what is possible there, so location is needed.
Why does этом change, but кафе does not?
Кафе is one of those Russian nouns that is usually indeclinable, meaning its form does not change across cases.
So:
- nominative: кафе
- prepositional: в кафе
- accusative: в кафе
But the demonstrative этот still declines normally to show the case:
- nominative neuter: это
- prepositional neuter: этом
That is why you get:
- в этом кафе
Even though кафе itself stays the same.
What does можно mean here?
Можно means something like:
- it is possible
- one can
- you can
- it’s allowed / available to
In this sentence, можно заказать means you can order or it is possible to order.
This is a very common Russian impersonal construction. Russian often does not need an explicit subject like you or one.
So:
- В этом кафе можно заказать...
= In this café, you can order...
Why is заказать in the infinitive?
After можно, Russian normally uses the infinitive.
So the pattern is:
- можно + infinitive
Examples:
- можно войти = you may enter / it is possible to enter
- можно купить = you can buy
- можно заказать = you can order
So заказать is not conjugated because можно already creates the meaning can / it is possible to.
Why is it заказать, not заказывать?
This is about aspect.
- заказать = perfective
- заказывать = imperfective
In this sentence, заказать is used because it refers to the action as a complete, single act: to place an order for something.
So:
- можно заказать = you can order
- focus on the completed act of ordering something
If you used заказывать, it would sound more like repeated/habitual ordering or the process in a broader sense.
For a menu/café context, можно заказать is the most natural choice.
What exactly does что угодно mean?
Что угодно means anything at all, whatever you want, or whatever you like.
It is a very common expression built from:
- что = what
- угодно = literally something like is pleasing / is desired
But as a fixed expression, you should understand it as:
- что угодно = anything
- кто угодно = anyone
- где угодно = anywhere
- когда угодно = anytime
So:
- можно заказать что угодно
= you can order anything
Why is it что угодно and not some other form like чего угодно?
Here что угодно is the direct object of заказать.
The verb заказать usually takes the accusative case for the thing being ordered.
For что, the accusative form is the same as the nominative:
- nominative: что
- accusative: что
- genitive: чего
So in this sentence:
- заказать что угодно = to order anything
You would see чего угодно in places where genitive is required.
What does от супа до десерта mean literally?
Literally, it means:
- from soup to dessert
It describes the full range of things available. In natural English, this might mean:
- from soup to dessert
- everything from soup to dessert
- anything from soup to dessert
It is a common Russian way to show a range:
- от X до Y = from X to Y
Why are супа and десерта in those forms?
Because the prepositions от and до both require the genitive case.
So:
- суп → супа
- десерт → десерта
Pattern:
- от + genitive
- до + genitive
Examples:
- от дома до школы = from the house to the school
- от утра до вечера = from morning till evening
- от супа до десерта = from soup to dessert
Why is there a comma before от супа до десерта?
The comma separates an explanatory phrase that adds detail to что угодно.
The sentence first says:
- можно заказать что угодно = you can order anything
Then it clarifies what that means:
- от супа до десерта = from soup to dessert
So the comma works a bit like an added explanation or specification.
It is similar to English punctuation in something like:
- You can order anything, from soup to dessert.
Could the sentence also be Вы можете заказать...?
Yes. That would also be correct, but the tone is a little different.
Compare:
В этом кафе можно заказать что угодно...
- impersonal
- neutral
- general statement about what is available
В этом кафе вы можете заказать что угодно...
- directly addresses you
- can sound a bit more personal or promotional
The version with можно is very natural for general descriptions.
Is the word order flexible here?
Yes, Russian word order is flexible, though different orders change emphasis.
The given sentence:
- В этом кафе можно заказать что угодно, от супа до десерта.
This is natural and neutral: first the place, then the possibility, then the object.
Other possible orders:
- Можно заказать что угодно в этом кафе, от супа до десерта.
- Что угодно можно заказать в этом кафе, от супа до десерта.
These are grammatically possible, but the emphasis shifts.
The original order is probably the most standard if the sentence is introducing the café.
What is the stress in the main words?
The main stresses are:
- в э́том кафе́
- мо́жно
- заказа́ть
- что уго́дно
- от су́па до десе́рта
A rough pronunciation guide:
- V EH-tam ka-FE MOZH-na za-ka-ZAT shto u-GOD-na, ot SU-pa da de-SER-ta
The word кафе is stressed on the last syllable, which is important because many English speakers want to stress the first syllable.
Can что угодно mean both anything and whatever?
Yes. The best English translation depends on context.
In this sentence, что угодно could be translated as:
- anything
- whatever you want
- whatever you like
So:
- можно заказать что угодно
= you can order anything = you can order whatever you want
All of these capture the sense well.
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