Breakdown of У этого плана есть преимущество, однако мы видим серьёзный недостаток.
мы
we
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
видеть
to see
у
at, by
есть
is, there is, to have
план
plan
серьёзный
serious
преимущество
advantage
однако
however
недостаток
disadvantage
Questions & Answers about У этого плана есть преимущество, однако мы видим серьёзный недостаток.
Could I use 'зато' instead of 'однако' in this sentence?
It would sound a bit unnatural here. Зато implies a trade-off or compensation, usually introducing a positive point that makes up for a negative one (for example, 'The plan is expensive, зато it is fast'). Here, we are starting with a positive (преимущество) and introducing a negative (недостаток), so the neutral contrast of однако (however) works much better.
I've seen 'однако' with commas on both sides before. Why is there only a comma before it here?
When однако stands at the beginning of a clause and connects two ideas, it acts exactly like the conjunction но (but). In this role, it only takes a comma before it. If it were placed in the middle of a clause as an introductory word (like saying 'we, however, see...'), it would need commas on both sides.
Why doesn't the phrase 'серьёзный недостаток' change its ending, since it's the direct object of what 'we see'?
Because недостаток (disadvantage/flaw) is a masculine inanimate noun. In Russian, the Accusative case (used for direct objects) looks exactly identical to the Nominative dictionary form for inanimate masculine nouns and their adjectives. If the object were animate or feminine, the ending would change.
Is the phrase 'у этого плана есть' the only way to say 'this plan has'? Can I use the verb 'иметь' (to have)?
You could say Этот план имеет преимущество, but it sounds rather formal and bureaucratic. In everyday spoken and written Russian, the possession structure У + [Genitive] + есть (literally 'At this plan there is') is overwhelmingly preferred, even for abstract concepts like plans and advantages.
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