После душа я протёр зеркало в ванной.

I

Breakdown of После душа я протёр зеркало в ванной.

• в: in
• после: after
• зеркало: the mirror

Questions & Answers about После душа я протёр зеркало в ванной.

Why is it после душа and not после душ or после душу?

Because после requires the genitive case.

• Dictionary form: душ = shower
• Genitive singular: душа

So:

• после душа = after the shower / after showering

This is a very common pattern:

• после работы = after work
• после обеда = after lunch
• после фильма = after the film

Also, Russian has no articles, so после душа can mean either after a shower or after the shower, depending on context.

Does душа here mean soul?

No. Here душа is just the genitive singular of душ.

This can confuse learners because:

• душ = shower
• душа = soul

But these are different words.

In this sentence:

• после душа = after the shower

not

• after the soul

The context makes it completely clear.

Why is the verb протёр? What does it mean exactly?