Breakdown of Я не хочу опаздывать, но мои часы постоянно отстают.
не
not
я
I
мой
my / mine
хотеть
to want
часы
watch / clock
но
but
опаздывать
to be late
постоянно
constantly
отставать
to run slow
Questions & Answers about Я не хочу опаздывать, но мои часы постоянно отстают.
Why is the plural мои used with часы if the translation says "my watch" (singular)?
In Russian, the word часы (watch/clock) is a plural-only noun, just like "scissors" or "glasses" in English. Because of this, any pronouns or verbs modifying it must also be plural, which is why we see мои (my) and the plural verb отстают (run slow).
What is the literal meaning of отстают here?
The verb отставать literally means "to fall behind" or "to lag." When applied to timepieces like часы, falling behind naturally means that the watch is running slow. For a watch that runs fast, you would use спешить, which literally means "to hurry."
Why use the imperfective verb опаздывать instead of the perfective опоздать?
The imperfective is used because the speaker is talking about a general or recurring situation. Their watch constantly runs slow, making them chronically at risk of being late. Furthermore, negated desires like не хочу (I do not want) are very commonly paired with imperfective verbs to express a general unwillingness to participate in an action.
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