Breakdown of В больнице нельзя шуметь.
в
in / to (direction)
больница
hospital
нельзя
one must not
шуметь
to make noise
Questions & Answers about В больнице нельзя шуметь.
Why doesn't this sentence have a subject like "you" or "people"?
Нельзя is an impersonal word meaning "it is forbidden" or "one must not." When stating a general rule in Russian, you don't need a subject. You simply use нельзя directly followed by an infinitive verb like шуметь (to make noise).
Why does больница change to в больнице?
It is in the Prepositional case because it answers the question "where?". The preposition в (in) combined with a location requires this case. The feminine noun больница drops its -а and adds -е to become в больнице.
Why is the imperfective verb шуметь used here?
When нельзя expresses a general prohibition or a strict rule (meaning "never do this"), it pairs with an imperfective verb. This shows that making noise is forbidden in general, not just on one specific occasion.
Can I change the word order to Нельзя шуметь в больнице?
Yes, that is grammatically correct. However, starting with В больнице is a very natural Russian pattern for rules. It sets the location first (in the hospital) and leaves the most important instruction for the end of the sentence (making noise is forbidden).
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