Breakdown of Пусть машина ржавая, но мы всё же радуемся поездке.
мы
we
машина
car
но
but
поездка
trip, journey
радоваться
to be glad
пусть
let
всё же
still
ржавый
rusty
Questions & Answers about Пусть машина ржавая, но мы всё же радуемся поездке.
How does пусть work here? Doesn't it usually mean "let"?
While пусть often means "let" (as in "let them go"), here it sets up a concessive clause. When paired with но (but) or всё же (still) in the second half of the sentence, it translates to "Even if..." or "Granted that...". It acknowledges a negative fact while emphasizing that the main action happens anyway.
Could I just use хотя (although) instead of пусть?
Yes, хотя машина ржавая works perfectly and means almost exactly the same thing. However, using пусть gives a slightly more conversational, dismissive flavor, like saying "Okay, granted, the car is rusty, but..."
Why is the word for "trip" in the dative case (поездке)?
It is because of the verb радуемся (we enjoy / are happy about). The verb радоваться always requires the object that causes the joy to be in the dative case, never the accusative. This is a common trap for English speakers who want to directly translate "enjoy the trip" using a direct object.
What is the role of всё же in the second clause, and is it mandatory?
Всё же means "still" or "nevertheless." It is not strictly mandatory here, as you could just say но мы радуемся (but we enjoy), however it strongly reinforces the contrast set up by пусть. In these "even if" sentences, pairing но with всё же is a very natural way to emphasize a positive outcome despite the drawback.
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