Breakdown of Комик продолжал шутить, невзирая на насмешки.
продолжать
to continue
комик
comedian
шутить
to joke
невзирая на
regardless of
насмешка
mockery
Questions & Answers about Комик продолжал шутить, невзирая на насмешки.
What is the difference between невзирая на and несмотря на?
Both mean "despite" and take the Accusative case. However, невзирая на is slightly more formal or literary than the more common несмотря на. Historically, it comes from an old verb meaning "to gaze upon", but functionally they are interchangeable in modern Russian.
Why is насмешки in the Accusative case rather than the Prepositional case, since it follows на?
The compound prepositions несмотря на and невзирая на act as fixed units that always require the Accusative case for the noun that follows. Because насмешка (mockery) is an inanimate noun, its Accusative plural form (насмешки) looks exactly like its Nominative plural.
Could we use the perfective verb пошутить instead of the imperfective шутить here?
No. Russian verbs that describe the start, continuation, or end of an action (like продолжать, начинать, or заканчивать) must always be paired with an imperfective infinitive. This is because they focus on the ongoing process of the action rather than its completion.
How is насмешки related to the verb смеяться (to laugh)?
They share the same root for laughter (смех). However, the noun насмешка specifically means a taunt, jeer, or act of mockery. The prefix на- implies directed action, shifting the meaning from simply laughing to maliciously laughing at someone.
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