Breakdown of Пациент был в полном бешенстве.
в
in / to (direction)
быть
to be
пациент
patient
полный
full, complete
Questions & Answers about Пациент был в полном бешенстве.
Why do we use the preposition в with the prepositional case here instead of just using an adjective like 'angry'?
In Russian, intense emotional or psychological states are often treated like physical locations. Just as you can be in a room (в комнате), you can be 'inside' a state of fury (в бешенстве). This metaphorical use of the prepositional case emphasizes that the emotion is an all-encompassing environment the subject is currently occupying.
Does the word бешенство have a literal medical meaning?
Yes, the literal translation of бешенство is 'rabies' (which makes its use with пациент quite fitting!). However, in everyday Russian, it is extremely common to use it metaphorically to mean absolute rage or frenzy. Being в бешенстве is a much more intense state than just being angry (злой).
Since we are using the past tense verb был (was), why don't we use the instrumental case here?
While B2 learners know to use the instrumental case after быть for attributes or professions (like пациент был злым - the patient was angry), this sentence relies on a prepositional phrase. You use the instrumental to say what someone was, but you use в + prepositional to describe the metaphorical state they were in.
Why does the adjective take the form полном?