Breakdown of Эти невесомые облака висят в небе, словно они привидения.
они
they
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
в
in / to (direction)
висеть
to hang
небо
sky
облако
the cloud
словно
as if
привидение
the ghost
невесомый
weightless
Questions & Answers about Эти невесомые облака висят в небе, словно они привидения.
English uses the past tense for 'as if they were ghosts'. Why doesn't the Russian sentence use the past tense были here?
Unlike English, which uses a past-tense form for hypotheticals, Russian comparison conjunctions like словно, как будто, and точно take the natural tense of the situation being described. Since the clouds are hanging in the sky right now, the comparison is also in the present tense: они привидения. You do not need to add были.
Could we drop the pronoun and just say словно привидения?
Yes! Saying словно привидения without они is very natural and often preferred. It turns the full clause into a shorter comparative phrase, which flows beautifully in spoken and written Russian.
How is the word невесомые (weightless) formed?
It is built around the noun вес (weight). By attaching the negative prefix не- and the adjective suffix -омый, it literally becomes 'un-weigh-able' or 'weightless'.
I often see на небе for 'in the sky'. Why does this sentence use в небе?
Both в небе and на небе mean 'in the sky' and are highly interchangeable. На небе is traditionally more common for things permanently belonging there, like stars or the moon, while в небе emphasizes the sky as a physical, three-dimensional space where clouds hang or airplanes fly.
Learn Эти невесомые облака висят в небе, словно они привидения 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