Breakdown of Ты отличишь подделку по запаху кожи.
ты
you (singular)
по
by means of, using
отличить
to distinguish
подделка
fake
Questions & Answers about Ты отличишь подделку по запаху кожи.
Why do we use the preposition по here to mean 'by'?
When you recognize, judge, or identify something based on a specific trait, Russian uses the preposition по followed by the dative case. That is why the masculine noun запах changes to its dative form, запаху.
Why does отличишь mean 'will distinguish' without a future tense helper verb like будешь?
Отличить is a perfective verb, meaning it describes a completed result. When you conjugate a perfective verb using standard present-tense endings (ты отличишь), it automatically refers to the future.
Doesn't the word кожа usually mean 'skin'?
It means both 'skin' and 'leather'! Here it is in the genitive case (кожи) to express possession: the smell of the leather.
What case is подделку in, and why?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb отличишь (the thing being distinguished). The feminine dictionary form подделка (fake) changes its -а ending to -у.