Question 1

Since this lesson is about comparatives with по-, how would you change this sentence to say the tailor wanted to make the fold 'a little smaller'?

Accepted Answer

You would use поменьше (a little smaller) and place it after the noun: Портной взял булавку, чтобы сделать складку поменьше. Adding the prefix по- to a comparative softens its meaning, turning 'smaller' into 'a bit smaller'.

Question 2

Why does the noun Портной (tailor) have an adjective ending?

Accepted Answer

Портной is a substantivized adjective. This means it functions entirely as a noun in the sentence, but it still changes its endings exactly like a standard masculine adjective when it declines (for example, the genitive would be портного and the dative портному).

Question 3

Could we use a conjugated verb instead of the infinitive сделать after чтобы?

Accepted Answer

Not in this sentence. Because the subject performing both actions is the same (the tailor took the pin, and the tailor is making the fold), чтобы must be followed by the infinitive. You only use чтобы + past tense when the subjects are different (e.g., 'The tailor took a pin so that I could make a fold' would be ...чтобы я сделал...).

Question 4

Why is на used with талии instead of в?

Accepted Answer

In Russian, you generally use на (on) rather than в (in) when referring to locations on the body's surface, like the waist, back, or neck. Because it is indicating a static location answering 'where?' (prepositional case), the feminine noun талия changes to талии.

Портной взял булавку, чтобы сделать складку на талии.

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