Breakdown of Этот случай подозрительный: кто-то явно брал мой ключ.
мой
my (мой, моя, моё) / mine
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
ключ
key
брать
to take (imperfective)
кто-то
someone
случай
case, occasion
подозрительный
suspicious
явно
clearly (obviously)
Questions & Answers about Этот случай подозрительный: кто-то явно брал мой ключ.
Why is брал (imperfective) used here instead of the perfective взял? Didn't someone take the key just once?
This is a core example of the annulled result. If you used the perfective взял, it would mean the key is currently missing (the result of taking it is still in effect). By using the imperfective брал, the speaker implies someone took the key but put it back. The action happened, but its result was reversed.
Does the verb брал always mean the result was reversed?
Not always, but it is a primary use of the imperfective past for verbs of taking, putting, and opening. It indicates a 'two-way' action. The speaker physically sees the key now, but knows it was temporarily removed because of some suspicious evidence.
Could I use the short-form adjective подозрителен instead of подозрительный here?
What is the exact meaning of явно in this sentence?
явно translates to 'clearly' or 'obviously.' It comes from the adjective явный (evident or manifest). Here, it emphasizes that the speaker has visible proof that someone messed with the key, which is exactly why they are calling the incident suspicious.
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