Глубина шкафа оказалась больше, чем мы думали, зато туда поместятся зимние куртки и коробки.

Because глубина шкафа means the depth of the wardrobe/closet. In Russian, the pattern X of Y is often expressed as:

• X in the nominative
• Y in the genitive

So:

• глубина = depth
• шкафа = of the wardrobe

The base form is шкаф, but after глубина it becomes шкафа.

Because the subject is глубина, and глубина is a feminine singular noun.

Past-tense verbs in Russian agree with the subject in gender and number:

• оказался = masculine
• оказалась = feminine
• оказалось = neuter
• оказались = plural

So глубина ... оказалась is correct because глубина is feminine.

Оказаться often means to turn out to be.

So:

• Глубина шкафа была больше = The depth of the wardrobe was greater
• Глубина шкафа оказалась больше = The depth of the wardrobe turned out to be greater

Using оказалась suggests discovery or surprise: the real depth was different from what we expected.

Because больше is the comparative form of большой and means bigger / greater / more.

Here it is used after оказалась to compare the depth:

• глубина оказалась больше = the depth turned out to be greater

You do not use большая here, because that would just mean big rather than bigger.

Compare:

• глубина большая = the depth is big
• глубина больше = the depth is bigger

Because Russian uses чем to introduce the second part of a comparison, much like than in English.

• больше, чем мы думали = bigger than we thought

This is a very common pattern:

• лучше, чем... = better than...
• меньше, чем... = less/smaller than...
• быстрее, чем... = faster than...

Because думали is imperfective, and here it refers to an ongoing or general idea in our minds: what we thought.

• думали = were thinking / thought
• подумали = thought once, had the thought, came to think

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about a previous assumption, not a single completed act of thinking. So чем мы думали is the natural choice.

Зато means something like:

• but on the other hand
• but at least
• on the plus side

It introduces a positive point that compensates for something else.

So the sentence has this logic:

• The wardrobe is deeper than we thought
• but on the plus side, winter jackets and boxes will fit there

It is not just simple but. It usually implies a trade-off or compensation.

This is a very common question.

• там = there, in that place
• туда = to there, into there

With поместиться in this kind of sentence, Russian often uses туда to emphasize fitting into that space.

So:

• туда поместятся зимние куртки и коробки = winter jackets and boxes will fit in there

Using там would focus more on location, while туда highlights the idea of something being put into the wardrobe and fitting inside it.

Поместятся is:

• 3rd person plural
• future tense
• perfective
• from поместиться

It means will fit.

Why future? Because perfective verbs do not have a present-tense meaning in the usual sense. Their present-looking forms actually refer to the future.

So:

• помещаются = are fitting / fit regularly
• поместятся = will fit

Because they are the subject of поместятся.

What will fit?

• зимние куртки
• коробки

So they stay in the nominative plural:

• зимние куртки = winter jackets
• коробки = boxes

The verb is plural too because the subject is plural: поместятся.

Yes. Шкаф is a broad word and can mean:

• wardrobe
• closet
• cabinet
• cupboard

The exact English translation depends on context. Since this sentence talks about depth and storing jackets and boxes, wardrobe, closet, or cabinet could all work depending on the situation.

The word order is natural, but not completely fixed.

Глубина шкафа оказалась больше, чем мы думали is a neutral way to present the information.

And зато туда поместятся зимние куртки и коробки sounds natural because:

• зато introduces the contrast
• туда appears early to highlight the storage space
• зимние куртки и коробки come later as the things that will fit

Russian word order is more flexible than English, but changing it changes emphasis.

Both commas are normal here.

• Before чем: because чем мы думали is a comparative clause
• Before зато: because зато links two clauses with a contrast

So the sentence is divided into two main parts:

1. Глубина шкафа оказалась больше, чем мы думали
2. зато туда поместятся зимние куртки и коробки

The punctuation helps show that structure clearly.