Question 1

Why is пробыли perfective when staying all day sounds like a continuous, ongoing action?

Accepted Answer

This is exactly how the prefix про- works for exact duration. It takes a continuous state like быть and packages it into a single, completed block of time. Even though the staying lasted a long time, the perfective verb пробыть shows that this specific duration is now entirely finished.

Question 2

What case is весь день in, and why is there no preposition?

Accepted Answer

It is in the accusative case, which is the standard way to express the exact duration of an action in Russian. No preposition is needed. Because день is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form looks identical to its nominative form.

Question 3

Could I use the perfective verb остались instead of пробыли to mean that we stayed?

Accepted Answer

You could, but the focus would change. The verb остаться emphasizes the result of not leaving or staying behind. The verb пробыть is specifically used to emphasize the exact amount of time spent in a state or place. Since this sentence highlights the time span of весь день, пробыли is the most natural choice.

Question 4

How do I stress the past tense forms of пробыть?

Accepted Answer

It follows the exact same stress pattern as the base verb быть. For masculine, neuter, and plural, the stress falls on the root: пробыл, пробыло, пробыли. However, for the feminine form, the stress jumps to the final vowel: пробыла.

Мы пробыли в этом терминале весь день.

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