Breakdown of Если будет только солнце, то зерно не будет расти.
не
not
только
only
быть
to be
если
if
то
then (in that case)
расти
to grow
солнце
sun
зерно
grain
Questions & Answers about Если будет только солнце, то зерно не будет расти.
Why is the word то used in the second half of the sentence?
In Russian conditional sentences, то translates to "then". It links the "if" clause (Если...) with the result. While you can often drop it in spoken Russian, using Если ... то ... (If ... then ...) is the standard way to clearly connect a condition and its result.
The English translation says "If there is", but the Russian sentence uses the future tense будет. Why?
This is a major difference between English and Russian! In English, we usually use the present tense in the "if" half of a future condition (like "If it rains tomorrow..."). In Russian, if the situation is about the future, you must use the future tense in both halves. Literally, the sentence says "If there will be only sun...".
Why is the future tense in the second part будет расти instead of just a single word?
Расти (to grow) is an imperfective verb, which focuses on a continuous or ongoing process. To form the future tense of an imperfective verb, Russian uses a compound structure: the future form of "to be" (будет) plus the infinitive of the action verb (расти).
What case are солнце and зерно in here?
They are both in the nominative case, which is the dictionary form used for the subject of a sentence. Солнце is the subject of the first part ("sun will be"), and зерно is the subject of the second part ("grain will not grow").
Learn Если будет только солнце, то зерно не будет расти and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free