Breakdown of Как раз вёснами перелётные стаи возвращаются из-за моря.
море
sea
весна
spring
из-за
because of; from behind
стая
the flock
возвращаться
to return, to come back
как раз
just / exactly
перелётный
migratory
Questions & Answers about Как раз вёснами перелётные стаи возвращаются из-за моря.
Why is вёснами in the instrumental plural here instead of just using весной?
This is the instrumental of temporal iteration. While весной means "in spring" (often referring to a single season or the season in general), the plural вёснами means "during the springs" or "every spring." It specifically emphasizes that this action repeats regularly across multiple spring seasons.
I learned that из-за means "because of." Why does it mean "from across" in из-за моря?
The literal, spatial meaning of из-за + genitive is "from behind" or "from beyond." из-за моря describes the physical movement of the flocks coming from beyond the sea. The meaning "because of" is actually a figurative extension of this original spatial meaning!
Can I use the adjective перелётные to describe any migrating animals or people?
No, перелётный is highly specific to birds (and occasionally flying insects). It is built from the prefix пере- (across/over) and the root for flying (летать). For migrating land animals or humans, you would use a different word, such as мигрирующий.
What role does the phrase Как раз play in this sentence?
Как раз is a very common set phrase meaning "exactly," "just," or "precisely." Here, it adds emphasis to the timing: it is precisely during the springs that the return happens, as opposed to any other time of year.
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