Breakdown of После того как парижане уехали, стало тихо.
тихо
quietly
стать
to become
уехать
to leave (by vehicle, pf)
после того как
after (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about После того как парижане уехали, стало тихо.
Why does the word for "Parisians" end in -е (парижане) instead of the usual plural -ы or -и?
Nouns denoting people from a certain place that end in -анин or -янин (like парижанин for a male Parisian) have a special plural pattern. They drop the -ин and add -е for the nominative plural. So парижанин becomes парижане.
Why do we need того как? Can't we just say После парижане уехали?
You cannot use just после here because it is a preposition that must be followed by a noun (like после концерта - after the concert). Because "the Parisians left" is a full clause with a subject and a verb, you must use the conjunction после того как (literally "after of that how") to connect it.
Why is стало (became) in the neuter form?
The phrase стало тихо (it became quiet) is an impersonal expression. There is no physical subject performing the action of "becoming." When there is no subject, Russian past tense verbs default to the neuter singular form.
Why use уехали rather than ушли for "left"?
Уехали specifies that they left by using a form of transport. Since Parisians traveling away implies they are going a long distance (likely back to Paris), you must use a driving/riding verb of motion rather than a walking verb like ушли.