Breakdown of Разве он недостаточно компетентен, чтобы управлять компанией?
не
not
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
компания
company
чтобы
in order to
разве
really?, surely not?
управлять
to manage (control, direct)
достаточно
enough
компетентный
competent
Questions & Answers about Разве он недостаточно компетентен, чтобы управлять компанией?
How does the недостаточно ... чтобы structure work in this sentence?
This is the negative version of the result clause you are currently learning. Just like достаточно ... чтобы means "enough to [do something]", adding не- gives us недостаточно ... чтобы (not enough to...). The clause after чтобы uses the infinitive управлять because the subject (он) is the one who would be doing the managing.
Why start the sentence with Разве? Could I use Неужели?
Разве is a question particle used when you expect a certain answer or want to express mild doubt—here it translates well to "Is he really not...?". Неужели expresses much stronger shock or disbelief ("Don't tell me he isn't...!"). In a professional discussion, Разве is the natural choice for a probing, somewhat rhetorical question.
Why is the short-form adjective компетентен used here instead of the full form компетентный?
Short-form adjectives are very common in the predicate (when they follow "is/are") to describe states or conditions. They are especially preferred in formal or professional contexts, such as evaluating someone's fitness for a job. Also, short forms pair very naturally with degree adverbs like недостаточно or слишком.
Why does компания change to компанией here?
This is because of verb government. The verb управлять (to manage, to drive, to control) always requires its object to be in the instrumental case. Other verbs of leadership or control, such as руководить (to lead) and командовать (to command), also take the instrumental case.
Why do we use the imperfective verb управлять after чтобы?
Managing a company is an ongoing, continuous responsibility rather than a single, one-time completed action. Because the focus is on the process of managing, the imperfective aspect is required.
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