Breakdown of Детектив спросил, где стоял сейф.
где
where / wherever
спросить
to ask (perfective)
стоять
to stand
детектив
detective
Questions & Answers about Детектив спросил, где стоял сейф.
Why is there a comma before где?
In Russian, you must always put a comma before the question word (like где, что, когда) when it introduces a reported question. The comma separates the main clause from the subordinate clause.
If Russian doesn't shift tenses in reported speech, what was the detective's original question?
His exact words were "Где стоял сейф?" (Where did the safe stand?). Unlike English, which shifts tenses backwards in reported speech (changing "is" to "was"), Russian keeps the exact same tense the speaker originally used. If he had asked "Where is the safe?" (Где стоит сейф?), the reported sentence would use the present tense: Детектив спросил, где стоит сейф.
Why is the word order где стоял сейф (where stood safe) instead of где сейф стоял?
Both word orders are grammatically correct and mean the same thing. However, in Russian subordinate clauses (like this reported question), it's very natural and common to put the verb (стоял) before the subject (сейф).
Why is спросил perfective but стоял imperfective?
Спросил (asked) is perfective because the detective asking the question was a single, completed action. Стоял (stood) is imperfective because it describes an ongoing state or background situation in the past.