Questions & Answers about В доме была мёртвая тишина.
Why is the verb была feminine here, rather than the impersonal было often used for 'there was'?
In Russian, sentences that translate to 'there was' in English usually have the thing that 'was' as the grammatical subject. Here, the subject is тишина (silence), which is a feminine noun. Therefore, the past tense verb must be the feminine была to match it, rather than the neutral было.
Is мёртвая тишина a common idiom in Russian, just like 'dead silence' in English?
Yes, it translates perfectly! The adjective мёртвая literally means dead, and just like in English, Russians use it metaphorically to describe absolute, unbroken silence. You might also hear гробовая тишина, which literally translates to 'coffin silence' and is used in the exact same way.
Why does the sentence start with В доме instead of the subject мёртвая тишина?
In Russian, sentences often start with the setting and end with the new or most important information. By starting with В доме, you set the scene first, which is the standard way to express English 'There was...' sentences. If you said Мёртвая тишина была в доме, it would shift the emphasis, sounding more like you are answering exactly where the silence was located.