Breakdown of Вроде бы этот размер мне подходит, но, если не он, то я возьму другой.
Questions & Answers about Вроде бы этот размер мне подходит, но, если не он, то я возьму другой.
What does вроде бы mean here?
Вроде бы is a soft, cautious way to say it seems, apparently, or I think so, but I’m not completely sure.
So Вроде бы этот размер мне подходит means something like:
- It seems this size fits me
- I think this size works for me
- This size appears to be right
It adds uncertainty. The speaker is not saying This size definitely fits.
Why is it мне подходит and not something like я подхожу?
The verb подходить here means to suit, to fit, or to be right for someone. In Russian, the thing that fits is the grammatical subject, and the person it fits takes the dative case.
So:
- этот размер = this size
- мне = to me / for me
- подходит = fits / suits
Literally, the structure is close to:
- This size suits me
- This size is suitable for me
That is why Russian says этот размер мне подходит, not я подхожу.
Why is мне in the dative case?
Because подходить in this meaning normally takes the person in the dative.
Compare:
- Мне подходит этот размер = This size fits me
- Тебе подходит этот цвет = This color suits you
- Нам подходит это время = This time works for us
This is a very common Russian pattern: the thing is the subject, and the person affected is in the dative.
Why is он used? What does он refer to?
Он refers back to размер.
Since размер is a masculine noun, the pronoun must also be masculine:
- размер → он
- рубашка → она
- платье → оно
So если не он literally means if not it, but in natural English we would usually say:
- if not this one
- if this one doesn’t work
- if not this size
What does если не он, то... mean exactly?
This pattern means if not this one, then... or if this one doesn’t work, then...
It is a common Russian structure:
- если ..., то ... = if ..., then ...
In this sentence:
- если не он = if not this one / if not this size
- то я возьму другой = then I’ll take another one
The не here does not simply mean a basic logical not in English word-for-word style. The whole phrase works idiomatically as if this one isn’t right / if not this one.
Why is there a то after the если clause?
In Russian, то often appears in если ..., то ... sentences, just like then in English:
- Если будет дождь, то мы останемся дома.
- If it rains, then we’ll stay home.
In everyday Russian, то is often optional, especially in speech. But here it sounds natural and helps mark the result clearly:
- если не он, то я возьму другой
= if not this one, then I’ll take another
So то is not absolutely required in every conditional sentence, but it is very common.
What does другой mean here? Why isn’t размер repeated?
Другой means another or a different one.
The noun размер is omitted because it is understood from the context. Russian often does this when the meaning is obvious.
So:
- я возьму другой literally = I’ll take another
- natural English = I’ll take another one / I’ll take a different size
Russian does this a lot with adjectives used on their own when the noun is easy to guess.
Why is it возьму and not буду брать?
Возьму is the perfective future of взять. It means a single completed action: I’ll take.
That fits the context well, because the speaker means a definite decision:
- If this one doesn’t work, I’ll take another one.
If you used буду брать, it would suggest an ongoing or repeated process and would sound unnatural here.
So:
- я возьму другой = I’ll take another one
not - I’ll be taking another one
Why are there so many commas in this sentence?
The commas are there because the sentence has more than one clause and also includes an если clause inside a larger sentence.
Structure:
- Вроде бы этот размер мне подходит
- но
- если не он, то я возьму другой
The clause starting with если is a subordinate conditional clause, so it is set off with commas.
That is why you see:
- a comma before но
- a comma after но because the если clause starts there
- a comma after он because the если clause part is separated from the то result clause
So the punctuation is standard for a sentence like:
- ..., but, if not this one, then I’ll take another.
Could этот размер мне подходит also mean something broader than literal physical fit?
Yes. Подходит can mean more than just physical fit. It can mean:
- fits
- suits
- works for
- is appropriate for
With размер, the most obvious meaning is literal fit, especially for clothes or shoes. But the verb itself is broader.
For example:
- Мне подходит этот вариант = This option works for me
- Тебе подходит эта работа = This job suits you
- Нам подходит пятница = Friday works for us
So here it most likely means this size fits me, but the underlying idea is this size is suitable for me.
Is the word order fixed, or could it be changed?
The word order here is natural, but Russian word order is fairly flexible.
For example, these are all possible:
- Вроде бы этот размер мне подходит...
- Мне вроде бы подходит этот размер...
- Этот размер вроде бы мне подходит...
They all mean roughly the same thing, but the emphasis changes slightly.
The given version starts with вроде бы, which immediately signals uncertainty, and then introduces этот размер. That sounds very natural in conversation.
Similarly, in the second half:
- то я возьму другой
- то другой возьму
Both are possible, but то я возьму другой is the most neutral and straightforward.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning RussianMaster Russian — from Вроде бы этот размер мне подходит, но, если не он, то я возьму другой to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions