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Questions & Answers about Аптека совсем рядом.
Why is совсем translated as "very" here instead of "completely"?
While совсем literally means "completely" or "entirely", in Russian spatial expressions like совсем рядом (right nearby) or совсем близко, it acts as an intensifier. English doesn't usually say "completely close", so "very close" is the most natural translation.
Since this lesson is about spatial prepositions, is рядом acting as a preposition here?
In this specific sentence, рядом is acting as an adverb meaning "nearby" or "close." If you wanted to use it as a preposition to say "next to the pharmacy," you would need to add с and use the Instrumental case: рядом с аптекой.
Рядом looks like a noun in the Instrumental case. Is it?
Historically, yes! It is the Instrumental case of ряд (a row or line). Saying things are "in a row with" something evolved to mean they are "next to" or "nearby" it. Over time, рядом became a fixed adverb of location.
Why isn't there a verb in this sentence?
As a quick refresher from earlier levels, Russian drops the present tense of the verb "to be" (быть). If we changed this to the past tense to say "The chemist's was very close", the verb would reappear: Аптека была совсем рядом.