Breakdown of Температура не падает, значит, началось воспаление и нужен антибиотик.
и
and
не
not
нужен
needed (нужен, нужна, нужны)
падать
to fall
температура
temperature, fever
начаться
to start (perfective)
значит
so (therefore / it means)
антибиотик
antibiotic
воспаление
inflammation
Questions & Answers about Температура не падает, значит, началось воспаление и нужен антибиотик.
How does the word значит function here, and why is it surrounded by commas?
While you probably know значит as a verb translating to "means," here it is used as an introductory discourse marker translating to "so," "therefore," or "which means." Because it acts as a logical connector for the conclusion rather than a regular sentence component, it is set off by commas.
Could we use следовательно instead of значит in this sentence?
Yes, both express a logical consequence. However, значит is very common in everyday conversational deductions. Следовательно is more formal and analytical. Since this sounds like a practical, everyday medical deduction, значит is the most natural fit, though следовательно would work if you wanted to sound more clinical.
Why is the verb началось placed before its subject воспаление?
Russian often uses word order to highlight new or important information by placing it at the end of the clause. The logical focus here is on the crucial new development: the inflammation itself. Placing воспаление after the verb emphasizes it as the key takeaway.
As a quick refresher, why do we use нужен here instead of the full adjective нужный?
Нужен is a short-form adjective used as the main predicate of the clause, translating to "is needed." It agrees in gender with the masculine noun антибиотик. You would use the full form нужный if you were modifying a noun directly as a descriptive trait, rather than stating a requirement.
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