Embedded Questions
To embed a question into a sentence (like "I want to find out where..."), use a question word like что (what) or где (where) to connect the two clauses. Always place a comma right before the question word.
| The detective arrived at the bank to find out what happened. | Детектив приехал в банк, чтобы выяснить, что случилось. |
| The detective wants to find out where the criminal is hiding. | Детектив хочет выяснить, где прячется преступник. |
Reported Statements with "что"
To report what someone says, claims, or suspects, use the conjunction что (that). In English, we often drop "that" (e.g., "The witness claims he saw the crime"). In Russian, что is mandatory and must be preceded by a comma.
| The witness claims that he saw the crime. | Свидетель утверждает, что он видел преступление. |
| The police suspect that the criminal stole the money. | Полиция подозревает, что преступник украл деньги. |
| The man has an alibi. He says that he was sleeping. | У мужчины есть алиби. Он говорит, что спал. |
Putting the Pieces Together
Verbs for remembering, asking, and speaking act as natural anchors for question words like когда (when) and где (where).
| The witness doesn't remember when he opened the safe. | Свидетель не помнит, когда он открыл сейф. |
| The detective asked where the safe stood. | Детектив спросил, где стоял сейф. |
You can also string multiple clauses together to describe complex situations. For example, state a suspicion with что, then attach an embedded question:
| I suspect that the witness knows who stole the gold. | Я подозреваю, что свидетель знает, кто украл золото. |
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