Word
Стараешься быть тактичным, но остаёшься откровенным.
Meaning
You try to be tactful, but remain frank.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Стараешься быть тактичным, но остаёшься откровенным.
быть
to be
но
but
стараться
to try hard
оставаться
to stay / to remain (imperfective)
Questions & Answers about Стараешься быть тактичным, но остаёшься откровенным.
Why is the pronoun ты omitted before стараешься and остаёшься?
In Russian, when you drop ты before a second-person singular verb, it often creates a "generalized-personal" clause. This means the sentence isn't talking about a specific "you," but rather "one" or "people in general." It is the standard way to express a general truth or philosophy, translating roughly to "One tries to be tactful, but remains frank."
Why are the adjectives тактичным and откровенным in the instrumental case?
These adjectives describe a state of being after linking verbs. In Russian, after the infinitive быть (to be) and verbs of state or change like оставаться (to remain) or стать (to become), the adjective or noun describing that state is put in the instrumental case.
Would it make sense to use perfective verbs here (постараешься, останешься)?
No, because this sentence describes a general, ongoing habit or a universal truth. Imperfective verbs like стараешься and остаёшься are required for repeated actions or continuous states. Using perfective verbs here would change the meaning to a specific, one-time future prediction: "You will try... but you will remain..."
What is the exact nuance of откровенным here compared to a standard word for "honest"?