Breakdown of Как ты отличишь подделку, если она выглядит так же, как оригинал?
она
she / it (for a feminine noun)
ты
you (singular)
так
so, like this
если
if
оригинал
original
выглядеть
to look, to appear
же
particle (same / exactly) / but / you know (emphasis)
как
as (in comparisons)
отличить
to distinguish
подделка
fake
Questions & Answers about Как ты отличишь подделку, если она выглядит так же, как оригинал?
Why does this sentence use так же, как instead of такой же, как?
The phrase так же is an adverb, which means it describes an action or a verb. Here, it describes the verb выглядит (looks). In Russian, you describe how something looks using an adverb. If you were comparing the qualities of two nouns directly (like saying they have the exact same color or size), you would use the adjective form такой же.
Does the word же change the meaning here, or could I just say так, как?
What case is the word подделку?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb отличишь (will distinguish). The dictionary form is the feminine noun подделка (a fake), so the ending changes from -а to -у.
Why is отличишь in the future tense but выглядит is in the present tense?
The verb отличишь is perfective and points to a completed action in the future ('how will you distinguish'). However, выглядит is imperfective and in the present tense because the fake currently looks like the original right now. It describes an ongoing state.
Why is there a comma before как оригинал?
In Russian, when the word как is used to mean 'as' or 'like' in a comparison, it almost always requires a comma before it. This is a strict punctuation rule that is quite different from English.
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