Breakdown of При естественном свете эти цвета выглядят по-другому.
этот
this [f: эта, n: это]
цвет
color
свет
light
выглядеть
to look, to appear
по-другому
differently (in another way)
при
in the presence of, under, at
естественный
natural
Questions & Answers about При естественном свете эти цвета выглядят по-другому.
Why do we use при here instead of в for "in natural light"?
While English says "in natural light", Russian uses при + Prepositional case to describe surrounding environmental conditions or circumstances. Using в (в свете) would sound too literal, like being physically inside a light beam, whereas при естественном свете translates to "under the condition of natural lighting."
How can I remember that цвета means "colors" and not "flowers" here?
It is a classic trap! The singular word цвет (color) takes an irregular plural: цвета (colors), stressed on the final syllable. "Flowers" comes from the singular цветок (a flower), which becomes цветы (flowers) in the plural.
Why do we use выглядят for "look" instead of a form of смотреть?
Выглядеть means "to look" in the sense of physical appearance or "to appear". Смотреть is an active verb meaning "to look at" or "to watch" with your eyes. Since the colors are not actively looking at anything, you must use выглядят.
English uses the adjective "different" here. Why does Russian use the adverb по-другому?
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