Breakdown of Актёры будут репетировать одни, до того как придут зрители.
актёр
actor
быть
to be
зритель
spectator
прийти
to arrive (on foot, pf)
Questions & Answers about Актёры будут репетировать одни, до того как придут зрители.
Why do we use the imperfective будут репетировать in the first part, but the perfective придут after до того как?
The aspects reflect the type of action. Rehearsing is an ongoing process, so it uses the imperfective future (будут репетировать). The arrival of the spectators is a single, completed event that sets a time limit on that process, so it uses the perfective future (придут).
Why does одни mean 'alone' here? Doesn't один mean 'one'?
Yes, один means 'one', but when it takes a plural ending (одни) to match a plural subject like актёры, it translates to 'alone' or 'by themselves'. So актёры будут репетировать одни means the actors will rehearse without anyone else around.
Could I use перед тем как instead of до того как in this sentence?
Yes, they are almost completely interchangeable when connecting two clauses. Перед тем как can sometimes imply that the first action happens immediately before the second one, while до того как is just a general 'before', but both work perfectly here.
Why is the comma placed before до того как instead of before как?