Breakdown of Пусть он пользуется потрёпанными часами, но они всё же безотказные!
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
они
they
часы
watch / clock
но
but
пользоваться
to use
пусть
let
всё же
still
потрёпанный
shabby
безотказный
reliable (fail-safe, trouble-free)
Questions & Answers about Пусть он пользуется потрёпанными часами, но они всё же безотказные!
In early levels, we learn that пусть means 'let' (like 'let him use'). How does it mean 'even if' here?
When пусть (or пускай) is paired with но (but) or всё же (still) in the second half of the sentence, it creates a concessive clause. This combination shifts the meaning of пусть from a command ('let him use') to a concession ('granted that he uses' or 'even if he uses').
Why are the words for 'battered watch' (потрёпанными часами) in the instrumental case?
The verb пользоваться (to use) always requires its object to be in the instrumental case. You can think of it as meaning 'to provide oneself with' or 'to make use with'.
The English translation says 'a watch', but the pronoun они and the noun часами are plural. Why?
The Russian word for a watch or a clock, часы, is a word that only exists in the plural form, much like 'scissors' or 'pants' in English. Therefore, all pronouns (они) and adjectives (потрёпанными, безотказные) that refer to the watch must also be plural.
What is the literal breakdown of the adjective безотказные (reliable)?
It is built from the prefix без- (without) and the noun отказ (refusal or failure). So, a watch that is безотказные is literally one that works 'without failure' or 'without refusing' to tick!
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