Breakdown of Она придёт через час, то есть в пять.
она
she / it (for a feminine noun)
пять
five
час
hour
прийти
to arrive (on foot, pf)
через
in (after a period of time)
то есть
that is, in other words
Questions & Answers about Она придёт через час, то есть в пять.
Why does через час mean "in an hour"? Doesn't через usually mean "across" or "through"?
Yes, через means "through" or "across" in physical space, but when talking about time, it means "after a certain amount of time has passed." To say you will do something "in [X amount of time]", you almost always use через followed by the accusative case.
Why does придёт mean "will come" if it looks like a present tense conjugation?
Придёт is a conjugated form of the perfective verb прийти (to arrive/come). In Russian, perfective verbs do not have a present tense. When you conjugate them using present tense endings, they automatically take on a future meaning, focusing on the result of the action.
How exactly is the phrase то есть used here?
То есть literally translates to "that is," and it is used exactly like "that is to say" or "i.e." in English. It introduces a clarification or a more precise explanation of what was just said. In fast, casual speech, native speakers often slur it together so it sounds like тость.
Why do we use в пять for "at five"? What case is пять in?
When stating the specific time an event happens ("at [X] o'clock"), you use в plus the accusative case. Since пять is an inanimate number, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative (dictionary) form. The word for "o'clock" (часов) is understood from context and usually dropped in everyday speech.
Learn Она придёт через час, то есть в пять and more in Russian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free