Breakdown of Они идеально дополняют друг друга.
они
they
друг друга
each other
идеально
perfectly / is ideal (for)
дополнять
to complement
Questions & Answers about Они идеально дополняют друг друга.
Why is the second half of друг друга ending in "-а" here?
In Russian, "each other" is formed by repeating the word друг. The first half always stays in the nominative case, but the second half changes to match the case required by the verb. The verb дополнять (to complement) takes a direct object in the accusative case. Because we are talking about people (animate objects), the accusative form of друг becomes друга.
Is дополняют an imperfective or perfective verb, and why is it used here?
Дополняют is in the imperfective aspect. Its perfective counterpart is дополнить. The imperfective is used here because complementing each other is a continuous, ongoing state or a general fact, rather than a one-time, completed action.
Could I put идеально at the end of the sentence?
You could say Они дополняют друг друга идеально, but in Russian, adverbs of manner (words that describe how something is done) typically sit right before the verb they modify. Moving it to the end is not wrong, but it places a very heavy, dramatic emphasis on the word "perfectly."
Is there a connection between дополняют and the word полный (full)?
Yes, they share the same root! The root полн- means "full." When you add the prefix до- (which often means taking an action up to a certain limit or completion), you get дополнять — literally "to make full" or "to complete." This makes perfect sense, as complementing someone means making them complete.
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