Breakdown of Пациент спит и очень тихо похрапывает.
и
and
очень
very
тихо
quietly
спать
to sleep
пациент
patient
похрапывать
to snore lightly
Questions & Answers about Пациент спит и очень тихо похрапывает.
What exactly does the по- ... -ыва- combination add to the base verb храпеть (to snore)?
This circumfix (a prefix and suffix added at the same time) creates an intermittent-attenuative meaning. It means the action happens off and on (intermittent) and with low intensity (attenuative). Instead of snoring steadily, the patient is letting out little, gentle snores every now and then.
Doesn't adding the prefix по- usually make a verb perfective? Why is похрапывает in the present tense?
You are right that adding a prefix typically creates a perfective verb. However, adding the -ыва- suffix at the exact same time forces the new verb to remain imperfective. Because of this, it can be used in the present tense alongside спит to describe an ongoing, continuous action.
Since похрапывает already implies the action is slight, isn't adding очень тихо (very softly) redundant?
Not in Russian! It is completely natural and common to use adverbs that reinforce the meaning already built into a verb's affixes. The phrase очень тихо complements and emphasizes the slight, weak nature of похрапывает rather than sounding repetitive.
Why does the conjugation type change from the base verb храпеть (храпит) to похрапывать (похрапывает)?
When you create a new verb using the по- ... -ыва- pattern, it automatically joins the very regular first conjugation class. Even though the base verb храпеть takes second conjugation endings (-ит, -ят), verbs ending in -ывать take standard first conjugation endings (-ет, -ют).
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