Word
Если не будет билетов на поезд, у нас есть запасной вариант: поехать на автобусе.
Meaning
If there are no train tickets, we have a fallback option: to go by bus.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Если не будет билетов на поезд, у нас есть запасной вариант: поехать на автобусе.
быть
to be
на
by
не
not
на
for
Questions & Answers about Если не будет билетов на поезд, у нас есть запасной вариант: поехать на автобусе.
Why does Russian use не будет билетов here instead of something like нет билетов?
Because the sentence is talking about a possible future situation.
- нет билетов = there are no tickets now
- не будет билетов = there will be no tickets
In Russian, an если clause can use the future tense normally when the condition is about the future:
- Если будет время... = If there is time...
- Если не будет билетов... = If there are no tickets / If there won’t be any tickets...
This is different from English, where we usually say If there are no tickets, not If there will be no tickets.
Why is билетов in the genitive plural, not билеты?
After existential negation such as нет, не было, and не будет, Russian usually puts the noun in the genitive.
So:
- Есть билеты = There are tickets
- Нет билетов = There are no tickets
- Не будет билетов = There won’t be any tickets
That is why you get билетов, not билеты.
Why is it на поезд? Does that literally mean onto the train?