Breakdown of Что касается интерьера, то он был очень современным.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
что
what
очень
very
современный
modern
быть
to be
то
then (in that case)
касаться
to concern (impf)
интерьер
interior
Questions & Answers about Что касается интерьера, то он был очень современным.
Why is there a то in the middle of this sentence?
In Russian, the construction Что касается (As for / Regarding) is almost always paired with the word то in the second clause. It acts as a bridge, similar to saying "As for the interior, then it was very modern." While English doesn't need a connecting word here, Russian uses то to smoothly link the introduced topic with the statement about it.
Why is интерьера in the genitive case?
The phrase Что касается literally translates to "What touches" or "What concerns." The verb касаться (to touch upon / to concern) always requires the object that follows it to take the genitive case. Therefore, the nominative интерьер changes to the genitive интерьера.
Why use the pronoun он instead of это to mean "it"?
Because "it" refers directly back to интерьер (interior), which is a masculine noun. In Russian, you must use the pronoun that matches the noun's gender (он). If you used это, it would sound like you were referring to a general situation or abstract concept, rather than specifically pointing back to the interior.
Why is the adjective современным in the instrumental case rather than the nominative (современный)?
When describing what a subject was like using the past tense verb был, Russian typically puts the following adjective or noun into the instrumental case. While the nominative case is sometimes used for absolute, permanent traits, the instrumental (современным) is the most natural and standard choice for linking a descriptive characteristic to a subject in the past tense.
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