Breakdown of Каждую неделю мы срываем яблоки с этого дерева.
яблоко
apple
мы
we
дерево
tree
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
неделя
week
каждый
every
с
off / down from (a surface)
срывать
to pick / to tear off
Questions & Answers about Каждую неделю мы срываем яблоки с этого дерева.
Why is 'from' translated as с here instead of из?
The preposition с (used here with the Genitive case) is the direct counterpart to на. Because apples grow on a tree (на дереве), taking them off or from the surface of the tree requires с. If you were taking them out of a box (в коробке), you would use из.
Is it a coincidence that the verb starts with с- (срываем) and the preposition is also с?
Not at all! The verbal prefix с- often indicates removal, detachment, or downward movement. It is very common in Russian to pair a prefixed verb with its matching preposition to clearly reinforce the direction of the action.
Why doesn't the time phrase каждую неделю (every week) use a preposition?
When you express frequency using the word "every" (каждый), Russian uses the Accusative case directly without any preposition. Since неделя (week) is a feminine noun, both the adjective and the noun take the feminine Accusative endings (-ую and -ю).
Why do we use the imperfective verb срываем?
The trigger here is the phrase Каждую неделю (Every week). Because this describes a regular, repeated habit, the verb must be in the imperfective aspect. If you were talking about a one-time completed action in the future (like "we will pick all the apples"), you would use the perfective form, сорвём.
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