Климат в обоих полушариях совершенно разный.
The climate in both hemispheres is completely different.
Breakdown of Климат в обоих полушариях совершенно разный.
в
in / to (direction)
разный
different, various
совершенно
absolutely
климат
climate
оба
both (m/n)
полушарие
the hemisphere
Questions & Answers about Климат в обоих полушариях совершенно разный.
Why do we use обоих instead of a form of обе here?
The noun полушарие (hemisphere) is neuter. The word for 'both' uses the base оба for masculine and neuter nouns, and обе for feminine nouns. Because we need the prepositional plural form to match a neuter noun, it becomes обоих.
Why are обоих полушариях in the prepositional case?
They follow the preposition в (in) to indicate location. When talking about where something is located ('in both hemispheres'), you use the prepositional case. The prepositional plural ending for most neuter nouns is -ях.
How is the word полушариях built?
Its dictionary form is полушарие. It is formed from the prefix полу- (half) and the root шар (sphere or ball). It literally translates to 'half-sphere', which is exactly what a hemisphere is!
Since we are talking about two hemispheres, why is разный (different) in the singular?
The adjective разный describes the grammatical subject of the sentence, which is климат (climate). Because климат is a masculine singular noun, разный must also be masculine singular, even though the plural phrase 'in both hemispheres' sits right in the middle of the sentence.
Could I use другой instead of разный to mean 'different' in this sentence?
In this context, no. Разный means 'different' in the sense of 'distinct' or 'unlike each other', which is perfect for comparing two climates. Другой generally means 'another' or 'an alternative one' (for example, 'I want a different shirt').
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