Breakdown of Адвокат был очень рад, после того как узнал приговор.
очень
very
быть
to be
рад
glad (рад, рада, рады)
узнать
to find out, to learn
после того как
after (conjunction)
адвокат
the lawyer
приговор
the verdict
Questions & Answers about Адвокат был очень рад, после того как узнал приговор.
Why do we need the long phrase после того как instead of just using после?
после is a preposition that must be followed by a noun, like in после приговора (after the verdict). Because the second part of this sentence is a full clause with a subject and a verb, you must use the conjunction после того как to connect them.
The English translation says 'after he found out', but there is no word for 'he' (он) in the Russian second clause. Why?
When the subject of the subordinate clause is the exact same as the main clause (the lawyer), Russian often drops the pronoun он to sound more natural and avoid repetition. The masculine past tense verb узнал makes it clear who performed the action.
Why is the comma placed before после? Can it go before как instead?
The comma separates the main clause from the subordinate clause, so placing it before после is the standard rule. You can occasionally put it before как if you want to strongly emphasize the 'after' part of the sentence, but keeping it before после is always a safe and correct choice.
Why is рад used instead of a normal long-form adjective?
рад (glad) is a special short-form adjective. In modern Russian, it actually does not have a long form at all! Like other short-form adjectives, it only changes by gender and number, and it requires a linking verb like был to show the past tense.
Doesn't узнал usually mean 'recognized'?
The verb узнать has two common meanings: 'to recognize' someone or something, and 'to find out' or 'to learn' new information. In this context, it means he found out the verdict. It is perfective because the action of learning the news was a single, successfully completed event.
Learn Адвокат был очень рад, после того как узнал приговор and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free