Breakdown of Мой друг быстро прошёл сквозь толпу.
друг
friend
мой
my (мой, моя, моё) / mine
быстро
fast, quickly
пройти
to pass (perfective)
толпа
crowd
сквозь
through (passing through something dense)
Questions & Answers about Мой друг быстро прошёл сквозь толпу.
Why does the word for crowd end in -у here?
The preposition сквозь (through) requires the Accusative case. The dictionary form of the word is толпа (a feminine noun), so in the Accusative case, the -а changes to -у, making it толпу.
Could I use через instead of сквозь to mean "through" in this sentence?
Yes, через толпу is also grammatically correct. However, сквозь is a great choice here because it specifically emphasizes pushing your way through a dense medium, physical obstacle, or resistance. Через is a more general word for going through or across a space.
How does the verb прошёл fit with the preposition сквозь?
The prefix про- on a verb of motion typically indicates moving through or past something. It pairs very naturally with сквозь to emphasize the physical action of making it all the way from one side of the crowd to the other.
Why use the perfective verb прошёл instead of an imperfective one?
Using the perfective verb прошёл shows that the action was successfully completed as a single event: he finished making his way through the crowd. If you used an imperfective equivalent like проходил, it would mean he was actively in the process of walking through it, or did it repeatedly.
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