Breakdown of Им не нравится этот план, зато он устроит нас.
не
not
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
мы
we
они
they
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
план
plan
нравиться
to please / to appeal
зато
but on the other hand
устроить
to suit (perfective)
Questions & Answers about Им не нравится этот план, зато он устроит нас.
Why use зато in this sentence instead of just the basic word for but (но)?
While но simply points out a contrast, зато specifically introduces a compensation or a trade-off. It translates best to "but on the other hand" or "but to make up for it." Here, the negative fact that they dislike the plan is balanced by the positive silver lining that it works for us.
Why does the sentence start with Им instead of Они?
The verb нравиться (to please or appeal to) requires the person experiencing the feeling to be in the dative case. So Они (they) becomes Им (to them). The actual grammatical subject of that first clause is этот план (this plan), which is in the nominative case.
Why is устроит in the future tense while не нравится is in the present?
устроит is the perfective form of the verb устроить (to suit or arrange). Because perfective verbs focus on completed results, their conjugated forms automatically refer to the future. The sentence contrasts their ongoing present attitude with the eventual, successful result of the plan working out.
What case is нас and why does it differ from the way we used Им?
нас is the accusative form of мы (we). Unlike нравиться, which requires a dative indirect object for the person, the verb устроить takes a normal direct object in the accusative case. The plan will directly suit or satisfy "us".
Why do we use он to mean "it" in the second half of the sentence?
In Russian, pronouns must always match the grammatical gender of the noun they replace. Because план is a masculine noun, we use the masculine pronoun он to refer back to it, rather than the neuter оно.
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