Раз уж мы уже были в театре, мы заодно зашли в кафе и обсудили финал.

Раз уж is a conversational expression meaning something like since, seeing that, or given that.

In this sentence, it introduces the idea:

• Раз уж мы уже были в театре...
  = Since we were already at the theater...

It often suggests: the situation is already true, so it makes sense to do something else too.
That is why it fits well with заодно later in the sentence.

Compared with other words:

• если = if
• потому что = because
• поскольку = since / because (more neutral or formal)
• раз уж = since, given that, as long as that’s already the case with a slightly colloquial, practical tone

So раз уж often carries the nuance of well, since that’s already the situation...

These are two different things, even though they look similar.

1. Раз уж is a fixed expression.
   Here, уж is not really the same as the normal adverb already. In this phrase, it adds emphasis and helps create the meaning since / given that.

2. уже in мы уже были в театре is the regular adverb meaning already.

So:

• раз уж = a discourse phrase: since / given that
• уже были = were already

This repetition is perfectly normal in Russian because the two words are doing different jobs.

Были is the past tense plural form of быть (to be).

Because the subject is мы (we), the verb must be plural:

• я был / была = I was
• ты был / была = you were
• он был = he was
• она была = she was
• мы были = we were
• они были = they were

There is no form былись here.
Russian past tense agrees with the subject in number and, in the singular, also in gender.

Yes. Both are in the prepositional case after в, because they answer the question where?

• в театре = in/at the theater
• в кафе = in/at the café

The difference is that театр changes form:

• театр → в театре

But кафе is an indeclinable noun, so it stays the same in all cases:

• кафе
• в кафе
• из кафе
• etc.

So the case is the same, but the visible form is different because кафе does not decline.

Заодно means something like:

• while we’re at it
• at the same time
• in the process
• also, since we were there anyway

In this sentence, it connects naturally with раз уж:

• Since we were already at the theater, we also dropped by a café while we were at it...

It suggests doing an extra action because the circumstances made it convenient.

A good rough equivalent is:

• might as well
• while we were at it

Зайти literally means to go in, to drop in, or to stop by.

Here, мы зашли в кафе means:

• we dropped by a café
• we went into a café

It often implies a relatively brief or casual visit.

This is different from some related verbs:

• пошли в кафе = went to a café
  Focus: the movement toward it
• вошли в кафе = entered the café
  Focus: crossing the threshold
• зашли в кафе = stopped by / dropped into the café
  Focus: a visit, often informal or convenient

So зашли works especially well with заодно.

They are perfective because the sentence describes completed actions in a sequence:

• зашли = went in / dropped by as a finished event
• обсудили = discussed and finished discussing

Russian often uses the perfective aspect in narration when events are viewed as whole, completed actions.

Compare:

• заходили would suggest repeated visits, background action, or a less clearly bounded event
• обсуждали would mean were discussing / used to discuss / discussed for some time, without focusing on completion

Here the speaker is telling what happened, step by step:

1. we had already been at the theater
2. we dropped by a café
3. we discussed the ending

That naturally favors perfective verbs.

Because финал is the direct object of обсудили, and for an inanimate masculine noun, the accusative singular is the same as the nominative singular.

So:

• nominative: финал
• accusative: финал

That is why Russian says:

• обсудили финал = discussed the ending

If it were an animate masculine noun, the accusative would usually match the genitive instead.

It is accusative singular.

The verb обсудить takes a direct object:

• обсудить что? = to discuss what?
• финал

Because финал is masculine singular and inanimate, the accusative looks identical to the nominative.

So the form is финал, but its function in the sentence is accusative.

Russian often allows the subject to be omitted if it is clear from context, but repeating it is also completely normal.

Here:

• Раз уж мы уже были в театре, мы заодно зашли в кафе...

The second мы helps clearly restart the main clause after the introductory subordinate clause. It can make the sentence sound a little clearer and more balanced.

You could sometimes omit the second мы in natural speech if the context is very clear, but repeating it is standard and natural.

Because Раз уж мы уже были в театре is a subordinate clause, and it is separated from the main clause by a comma.

Structure:

• subordinate clause: Раз уж мы уже были в театре
• main clause: мы заодно зашли в кафе и обсудили финал

So the comma works much like English punctuation in:

• Since we were already at the theater, we dropped by a café too...

Yes, Russian word order is flexible, but changing it changes the emphasis.

The original sentence is neutral and natural:

• Раз уж мы уже были в театре, мы заодно зашли в кафе и обсудили финал.

Possible variations:

• Раз уж мы уже были в театре, заодно мы зашли в кафе и обсудили финал.
  Slightly more emphasis on заодно

• Мы заодно зашли в кафе и обсудили финал, раз уж мы уже были в театре.
  The reason comes at the end; this can sound a bit more conversational

• В кафе мы заодно зашли, раз уж уже были в театре.
  Stronger emphasis on в кафе

So yes, the order can change, but the original version is probably the most straightforward one for a learner.

Usually at the theater is the more natural English translation in this context.

Russian в театре literally uses in, but English often prefers at for locations when the focus is simply being there rather than physically inside the building.

So depending on context:

• были в театре = were at the theater
• sometimes more literally: were in the theater

In this sentence, at the theater is probably the most natural English choice.

By itself, финал means the finale, the ending, or the final part of something.

In this sentence, because the people were at the theater, the most likely interpretation is:

• the ending of the play
• possibly the final scene or finale of the performance

But grammatically, финал does not itself specify exactly whose ending it is. The context does that.

So a Russian learner should understand that финал is a general word whose exact reference comes from the situation.