Breakdown of Стакан полный, не неси его быстро.
не
not
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
быстро
fast, quickly
стакан
glass
нести
to carry (unidirectional on foot)
полный
full, complete
Questions & Answers about Стакан полный, не неси его быстро.
Why use the imperfective verb неси here instead of a perfective verb?
In Russian, negative commands ('don't do something') almost always use the imperfective aspect, even for a single, specific action. Since you are being told not to carry it fast right now, the imperfective не неси is required.
Нести means 'to carry' in one direction. Could we use the multidirectional verb носить (не носи) instead?
Not in this specific context. The sentence describes a single, specific trip happening right now (carrying this full glass from point A to point B). You would only use не носи for repeated or general habits, like 'Never carry glasses quickly'.
Could I use the short-form adjective полон instead of полный?
Yes, стакан полон is grammatically correct, but it sounds quite formal or literary. In everyday conversation, native speakers frequently use the long form полный even when it acts as the predicate (the 'is full' part of the sentence).
Why is the pronoun его used to mean 'it' here?
Его is the accusative case of он (he/it). Because стакан (glass) is a masculine noun, it is replaced with the masculine pronoun он. Since the glass is the direct object of the verb не неси (don't carry it), it must take the accusative form его.
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