Breakdown of Это лучшее изобретение, которое помогает людям.
это
this / it is
люди
people
помогать
to help
лучший
best
который
which / who / that (relative pronoun)
изобретение
invention
Questions & Answers about Это лучшее изобретение, которое помогает людям.
Why do we use которое instead of который here?
Которое is a relative word meaning "that" or "which". It must match the gender of the noun it refers to. Since it refers back to изобретение (invention), which is a neuter noun, we use the neuter form которое. It is in the Nominative case because it acts as the subject doing the helping in the second part of the sentence.
How does the word for "good" turn into лучшее?
The adjective хороший (good) has an irregular form for "better" or "best", which is лучший. Because it is describing the neuter noun изобретение, it takes the neuter ending -ее to become лучшее.
Why is the word for "people" written as людям instead of люди?
The verb помогать (to help) requires the object receiving help to be in the Dative case. Людям is the Dative plural form of the irregular noun люди (people).
Why is there a comma before которое?
In Russian grammar, a comma is strictly required before a relative clause. Whenever you use a form of который to connect two parts of a sentence with "which", "who", or "that", you must put a comma before it.
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