Question 1

Since the current lesson is about гораздо and намного, can I use them in this sentence instead of довольно?

Accepted Answer

No, you cannot. Гораздо and намного both mean much or a lot, but they are strictly used to intensify comparative words, like холоднее (colder). Довольно means quite or rather and is used with standard, non-comparative adjectives and adverbs like холодно.

Question 2

I thought the root of довольно meant enough or satisfied. How does it mean quite here?

Accepted Answer

You have a good memory! It shares a root with the word доволен (satisfied). While it can still mean enough, in modern Russian it is very commonly used as an adverb of degree to mean quite or rather. When you say довольно холодно, you are essentially saying it is cold enough to be noticeable.

Question 3

Why do we use the adverb холодно here instead of the adjective холодный?

Accepted Answer

English uses the dummy subject It in the phrase It is cold. Russian does not use dummy subjects for the weather, environment, or general states. Instead, Russian uses an impersonal structure with an adverb. Because there is no specific physical noun in the sentence being described as cold, we must use the adverb холодно.

Question 4

Can I change the word order and say Здесь холодно довольно?

Accepted Answer

That would sound unnatural. Adverbs of degree like довольно (quite) and очень (very), as well as the intensifying comparatives from this lesson like гораздо (much), almost always go immediately before the word they are modifying.

Здесь довольно холодно.

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