Breakdown of Спустя два месяца созревания бактерии меняют вкус.
два
two
месяц
month
менять
to change, to exchange
вкус
taste
Questions & Answers about Спустя два месяца созревания бактерии меняют вкус.
If спустя requires the accusative case, why does два месяца look like it's in the nominative or genitive?
The word два is actually in the accusative case here. For inanimate objects like months, the accusative form of два is identical to its nominative form. Then, following the standard rule for numbers, два forces the noun месяца into the genitive singular.
I often see спустя after the time period, like два месяца спустя. Is there a difference?
Спустя is unique because it can be used as a preposition (before the time phrase) meaning "after X time," or as a postposition (after the time phrase) meaning "X time later." Both are correct. Putting it before the time phrase is often preferred in formal or instructional contexts, like describing a recipe or scientific process.
Why is созревания in the genitive case?
It translates to "of aging" or "of maturation." The genitive case is used here to link the noun созревание to the time period, showing what those two months consisted of.
Why use the imperfective verb меняют if the change happens after a specific deadline of two months?
Although a specific time period is given, the sentence describes a general, recurring fact (how bacteria behave during fermentation), not a single completed event. For stating general facts and processes, Russian relies on the imperfective aspect.