Breakdown of Здесь нельзя трогать картины.
здесь
here
картина
picture / painting
нельзя
one must not
трогать
to touch
Questions & Answers about Здесь нельзя трогать картины.
Why isn't there a subject like 'you' or 'people' in this sentence?
This sentence uses the impersonal word нельзя, which means 'it is not allowed' or 'it is forbidden'. Russian doesn't need a dummy subject like 'it' or a general subject like 'you' for these rules. You simply use нельзя followed by the infinitive of the verb.
Why is the imperfective verb трогать used here instead of a perfective verb?
When нельзя means 'it is forbidden', it is almost always followed by an imperfective verb like трогать. This shows that the action is completely prohibited at all times, rather than just in one specific instance.
What case is картины in? It looks like the regular plural.
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action of трогать (to touch). For inanimate objects (things, not people or animals), the accusative plural is identical to the nominative plural, which is why картины looks just like the basic plural form.
Could I put здесь at the end of the sentence instead?
Yes, Нельзя трогать картины здесь is grammatically correct. However, Russian typically puts the setting or context first. Starting with Здесь naturally sets the scene ('Here, in this place...') before delivering the main rule.