Breakdown of Эти новые пассажирские поезда отходят от первого пути.
новый
new
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
поезд
train
первый
first (1st)
от
from
путь
track / path (route, journey)
пассажирский
passenger (adj)
отходить
to depart / step away (impf)
Questions & Answers about Эти новые пассажирские поезда отходят от первого пути.
Why do we use the verb отходят here?
Отходят is formed from the prefix от- (indicating movement away from a specific point or edge) and the multidirectional verb of motion ходить. When applied to scheduled transport like trains, ships, or buses, отходить is the standard verb for to depart or to pull away.
Why is the word от repeated, first as a prefix in отходят, and then as a standalone preposition?
This is a very common pattern in Russian! When a verb of motion has a prefix indicating a spatial relationship, it is often reinforced by a matching preposition to connect it to the noun. Here, the prefix от- pairs with the preposition от (from/away from), which requires the Genitive case.
Wait, isn't the noun for track/path (путь) masculine? Why does it look feminine in от первого пути?
Great catch! Путь is a masculine noun, but it is highly irregular. It declines almost exactly like a feminine 3rd-declension noun ending in a soft sign (like тетрадь). Because the preposition от requires the Genitive case, the ending changes to -и, making it пути. However, the masculine Genitive adjective первого confirms its true gender.
Why does the plural of поезд end in -а (поезда) instead of -ы?
Поезд is one of several common masculine nouns that take a stressed -а or -я ending in the Nominative plural instead of the standard -ы or -и. Other common examples you might remember are дом (дома), глаз (глаза), and город (города).
Why is the imperfective verb отходят used instead of the perfective отойдут?
Because this sentence is stating a general fact, routine, or schedule (these trains regularly depart from track 1). For repeated or scheduled actions, you must use the imperfective aspect.
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