Breakdown of В молоке есть кальций, к тому же оно улучшает пищеварение.
оно
it
молоко
milk
в
in / to (direction)
есть
is, there is, to have
улучшать
to improve
кальций
calcium
пищеварение
digestion
к тому же
besides, moreover
Questions & Answers about В молоке есть кальций, к тому же оно улучшает пищеварение.
How does the phrase к тому же work here, and how is it different from кроме того?
It translates to besides or furthermore. Literally it combines the preposition к (to), the dative form of то (that), and the emphatic particle же. While кроме того is a neutral way to add information, к тому же is slightly more conversational and specifically adds a reinforcing point, as if to say not only is the first thing true, but here is a bonus fact.
Could we just say В молоке кальций without the word есть?
Yes, dropping есть is grammatically fine. However, keeping есть emphasizes the actual presence or existence of the mineral. It highlights that milk actively contains calcium, making it sound like a solid nutritional claim rather than just a casual description.
Why do we use the pronoun оно in the second clause instead of это?
The pronoun оно specifically refers back to the neuter noun молоко. If you used это, it would refer to the entire previous situation (as if the fact that milk has calcium is what improves digestion). Using оно clarifies that it is the milk itself doing the improving.
I don't recognize the word пищеварение. How is it formed?
It is a compound noun meaning digestion. It combines пища (food) and the root вар- from варить (to boil or cook). So it literally translates to food-cooking or food-processing. Recognizing these common roots makes learning long Russian words much easier at this level!
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