Word
После того как врач проверил горло, он сказал, что это вирус, значит, антибиотик не нужен.
Meaning
After the doctor checked the throat, he said that it is a virus, so an antibiotic is not needed.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of После того как врач проверил горло, он сказал, что это вирус, значит, антибиотик не нужен.
это
this / it is
не
not
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
врач
doctor
Questions & Answers about После того как врач проверил горло, он сказал, что это вирус, значит, антибиотик не нужен.
Why is значит used here, and why does it have commas around it?
Значит acts here as a discourse marker of conclusion, translating to "which means" or "therefore". It shows a logical deduction (it is a virus, therefore antibiotics will not work). When used as an introductory word to draw a conclusion, it must be separated by commas. While you could use поэтому (so / for this reason), значит specifically emphasizes the logical deduction.
Why do we need the long phrase После того как instead of just using После for "After"?
После is a preposition, so it must be followed directly by a noun or pronoun (for example, после осмотра - after the exam). Because we are introducing a full clause with its own subject and verb (врач проверил), we have to use the compound conjunction после того как.
Why is the present tense used in что это вирус if the doctor said it in the past?
In Russian reported speech, you must keep the exact tense the speaker originally used. The doctor literally said, "This is a virus" (Это вирус). Even though the main verb сказал is in the past tense, the reported clause stays in the present tense. English usually shifts this to the past ("he said it was a virus"), but Russian does not.
Why is нужен used in its short form here?