Breakdown of Из-за снегопада на дороге пробка.
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
дорога
road, way
из-за
because of; from behind
пробка
traffic jam
снегопад
snowfall
Questions & Answers about Из-за снегопада на дороге пробка.
Why does this sentence use из-за instead of потому что for "because"?
While потому что connects two full clauses (like "because it is snowing"), из-за is a preposition meaning "because of" or "due to" and is placed directly before a noun. Also, из-за is specifically used for negative or frustrating causes, which perfectly fits a traffic jam caused by bad weather.
Why does the word снегопад end in -а here?
It is in the Genitive case (снегопада). The preposition из-за always requires the noun that follows it to take the Genitive case.
Doesn't пробка usually mean "cork" or "plug"?
Yes, its literal meaning is "cork" or "bottle cap". However, in everyday Russian, пробка is the standard, most common word for a "traffic jam." You can easily remember it by picturing the cars plugging up the road like a cork in a bottle.
Where is the Russian translation for "there is" in this sentence?
It is omitted. In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" (is, am, are) is almost always left out. The sentence literally reads: "Because of snowfall on road [is] traffic jam."
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