Breakdown of Ребёнок сегодня капризничает: то плачет, то смеётся.
ребёнок
child
сегодня
today
смеяться
to laugh
плакать
to cry
капризничать
to act up
то ..., то ...
now ... now ... (alternating actions)
Questions & Answers about Ребёнок сегодня капризничает: то плачет, то смеётся.
How does the structure то ..., то ... work in this sentence?
It is a paired conjunction used to show alternating actions, meaning "now this... now that..." or "first this... then that...". Here, it highlights that the child is rapidly switching back and forth between crying (плачет) and laughing (смеётся).
Why are the verbs плачет and смеётся in the imperfective aspect?
The то ..., то ... pattern almost always uses imperfective verbs. Because it describes a continuous cycle of repeating or alternating states rather than a single completed result, the imperfective aspect is the natural choice.
Is the verb капризничает only used for children?
It comes from the word for "whim" or "caprice" and means to act up, be fussy, or throw a tantrum. While it is most often used for children, you can also use it for adults who are being moody or unreasonable, and even metaphorically for machines (like a car engine acting up) or the weather.
Why does смеётся have the reflexive ending -ся? Does it mean the child is laughing at himself?
No, it just means "laughs". The dictionary form смеяться (to laugh) is one of those Russian verbs that always takes a reflexive ending (-ся or -сь) even though the action does not reflect back onto the subject. It is just a built-in part of the word you have to memorize.
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