Breakdown of Чтобы скрыть свою переписку, нужно использовать пароль.
пароль
password
нужно
it is necessary
свой
one's own
чтобы
in order to
использовать
to use (+ accusative)
скрыть
to hide (conceal something)
переписка
correspondence
Questions & Answers about Чтобы скрыть свою переписку, нужно использовать пароль.
Why use свою here when there is no specific subject (like "he" or "you") in the sentence?
Even in impersonal sentences that make general statements, свой is used to mean "one's own". It refers to the implied person who is doing the action. We use the feminine Accusative form свою because it agrees with the direct object it modifies: переписку (correspondence).
Why does the sentence start with Чтобы followed by the infinitive скрыть?
The combination of чтобы + an infinitive verb is the standard Russian way to express purpose or intention. It directly translates to "in order to [do something]". Here, чтобы скрыть means "in order to hide".
Who is the subject of нужно использовать?
There is no grammatical subject! Нужно is an impersonal word meaning "it is necessary" or "one must". When followed directly by an infinitive like использовать (to use), it creates a general rule that applies to anyone.
Is пароль in the Nominative case here?
It looks like it, but it is actually in the Accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb использовать (what must one use? A password). Because пароль is a masculine inanimate noun, its Accusative form is identical to its Nominative form.
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