Breakdown of Наши доходы взлетели, когда мы добивались независимости.
мы
we
наш
our (наш, наша, наше)
когда
when
взлететь
to take off, to fly up (pf)
доход
the income
добиваться
to strive for (impf)
независимость
independence
Questions & Answers about Наши доходы взлетели, когда мы добивались независимости.
Why is независимости in the genitive case here?
The verb добивались (were striving for) requires its object to be in the genitive case. This is a perfect example of the genitive of achievement taught in this lesson. Verbs of seeking, striving, and reaching (like достигать) often take the genitive, especially when the goal is an abstract concept like независимость.
The translation says "were striving for," but doesn't добиваться mean "to achieve"?
Russian uses verb aspect to split these meanings! The imperfective добиваться focuses on the ongoing process (striving for, seeking). The perfective добиться is used when the result is successfully reached (achieved, obtained). Since they were still in the process of seeking independence when revenues soared, the imperfective is used here.
Why is доходы plural here when the English uses the singular "revenue"?
In Russian, the plural доходы is frequently used to discuss overall revenue, aggregate earnings, or multiple income streams. The singular доход is also common, but using the plural for broad financial totals sounds very natural to a native speaker.
Is взлетели a standard financial term, or is it slang?
It is figurative but very standard, much like in English. The verb взлетать / взлететь literally means to fly up or take off. Applied to numbers or prices, it is the direct equivalent of saying they soared or skyrocketed.
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