Breakdown of Нам надо уехать до того, как начнётся эпидемия.
мы
we
надо
must, need to
уехать
to leave (by vehicle, pf)
до того как
before
эпидемия
the epidemic
начаться
to start (perfective)
Questions & Answers about Нам надо уехать до того, как начнётся эпидемия.
Why does the sentence use the reflexive начнётся instead of just начнёт?
Because the verb is intransitive here. The epidemic isn't starting something else (like a person starting a car); it is just starting. In Russian, when an event starts, the event is the Nominative subject (эпидемия) and we use the reflexive verb начаться (here conjugated as начнётся).
Why is начнётся in the future tense when the English translation says starts (present tense)?
English often uses the present tense after words like before, when, or if even if the event is in the future. Russian is more literal: since the epidemic hasn't started yet and will start in the future, you must use the future tense (начнётся).
Can I just say до как начнётся instead of до того, как?
No, до того, как works as a set phrase here. До is a preposition that must be followed by a noun in the Genitive case. To connect it to a full clause with its own subject and verb, Russian adds the pronoun то in the Genitive (того) plus как to act as a bridge.
Why does the sentence start with Нам (Dative case) instead of Мы (Nominative)?
The word надо (necessary or need) is an impersonal word. In Russian, you don't say We need but rather To us it is necessary. The person who needs something must be in the Dative case, so мы changes to нам.
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