Breakdown of Весной бывает прекрасная погода.
погода
the weather
весной
in spring
бывать
to occur / to visit
прекрасный
wonderful
Questions & Answers about Весной бывает прекрасная погода.
Why use бывает here instead of just leaving out the verb 'to be' like usual in the present tense?
While the normal verb for 'to be' (быть) is dropped in the present tense, бывать is its habitual counterpart. Using бывает adds the specific meaning that the weather 'tends to be' or 'usually is' wonderful during this time, rather than just stating a simple timeless fact.
Why is 'in spring' translated as just one word, Весной, without a preposition?
To say 'in' or 'during' a season or a time of day, Russian uses the instrumental case of the noun without any preposition. So the nominative word весна (spring) simply changes its ending to become весной (in spring).
Why is the subject погода (weather) at the very end of the sentence?
Russian word order is flexible and often places the most important or 'new' information at the end of a sentence for emphasis. By starting with the time (Весной) and the verb (бывает), it sets the scene and builds up to the main focus: the wonderful weather.
Does бывает always stay in this form when talking about things that tend to happen?
No, it must agree with its subject just like any other verb. It takes the form бывает here because it agrees with погода, which is a singular third-person noun (she/it). If the subject were plural, like дни (days), you would use the plural form бывают.
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